Happy Families are All Alike
by ElisaCollette
Summary: Lucas and Peyton Scott have a seemingly perfect life but what happens when that fabric begins to fray? Will their family survive the obstacles unscathed and will Haley, Nathan, Brooke and Jake be able to help while juggling their own families?
1. Home Again

Although I'm enjoying the new season, I definitely miss the Peyton and Lucas interaction... of which there has been virtually none in the first two episodes. So, I decided to start my own story centering on them fifteen years into the future. I own nothing but the story ideas and the characters of the children.

Peyton and Lucas – married for 13 years.

Winifred –13 years old

Ryan – 9 years old

Ashton – 7 years old

Gretchen – 3 years old

Nathan and Haley – married 15 years

Jared – 9 years old

Brooke and Jake

Jennie – 16 years old

Chapter 1

Winifred peaked around the corner and saw her dad sitting alone in the dimly lit living room. A basketball game hummed quietly on the television and an almost full bottle of beer sat forgotten next to a glass of red wine her mother had been sipping earlier that evening. All of her kids knew that Peyton almost never drank; only when their father offered her something or she was desperate to fall asleep. The Scott children didn't really understand their mother but they were pretty comfortable with her quirks. Winifred crept quietly through the room, attempting to hold her haggard breath as she passed her father and made her way to the stairs.

"G'night Fred."

"Hi Dad," she said softly as she turned to face him. At thirty-one years, Lucas Scott's rugged teenage looks had gracefully muted and left behind a sophisticated, handsome man. His blue eyes fought back a twinkle as he patted the sofa next to him. "I'm sorry Dad," she said mournfully as his arms circled her in a hug. Lucas sat back so that he could look at his thirteen-year-old daughter.

"For what?"

"All kinds of things," she said simply, making her father smile at the sweet memory. He tilted her chin so that hers eyes met his.

"It's not me you owe an apology."

"Is she mad?"

"Worse," Lucas said solemnly. When Peyton was angry, anyone could deal with her; it was as easy as making her laugh with some stupid joke or offhand compliment. Sadness hit and the entire family was down and out; even Lucas had a difficult time pulling her back from despair.

"Dad, I didn't mean to upset her. I can't help it. I'm so tired of everyone treating me like a baby."

"You always will be our baby girl. Just like Gretchen. Your mom just worries about you because she loves you so much."

"She looks at me like I'm gonna die." Winifred knew immediately that she had not chosen her words carefully enough; Lucas's blue eyes flared in outrage.

"Winifred Anna Scott!"

"Calm down Dad. I know I'm not – and so does mom. But every time I get a cold, or even sneeze, she gets this look like I'm never going to get better again." Lucas's expression softened after the feelings of dread and terror were quickly replaced by the admiration and pride he always felt toward his young daughter. She was so young but she understood so much; she was their own little adult; always the thirteen year old going on thirty. It was scary sometimes because she was more perceptive to the feelings and thoughts of others than he and Peyton could ever hope to be.

"She's lost a lot of people in her life Fred, she's terrified of losing anyone else."

"I shouldn't have to live in a bubble because Grandma and Grandpa died."

"No," Lucas agreed. "You shouldn't. But your mom does have genuine concerns. You aren't supposed to overdo it when you've been sick. And you should be taking medicine when you don't feel well." He paused for a moment, trying to collect himself so that he didn't branch off into some overdrawn lecture. "But if you don't like the way things are, we talk about it. We don't yell and then run away."

"I was at Aunt Haley's," Winifred protested.

"We didn't know that for sure." They had though. His brother had called as soon as Winifred had appeared at their door earlier that evening. Nathan had also been the one to drive her home after Haley had spent ample time listening to her adolescent fears and calming her honestly earned rants. If her stomach hadn't been swollen to the size of a large beach ball and her hair hadn't recently started to gray at the roots, Haley would have felt a bit reminiscent with a curly haired blond walking around her room, ranting aimlessly. Winifred's hair wasn't as blond or as curly as Peyton's and she wasn't as tall as her mother or father, but the resemblance was definitely there. The entire family was aware that Winifred was smaller and somewhat more delicate than her mother ever had been.

"Is mom up? I should say sorry. I know it doesn't change anything—"

"But it helps," Lucas said encouragingly. His face fell a bit and his voice conveyed his concern as he continued. "Unfortunately, Fred, it'll have to wait til tomorrow. She's asleep." They all knew that when their father said that their mom was actually asleep, it was always a result of 'the pill.' It was the only certain method of sound sleep for Peyton Scott. Otherwise, the sound of people talking in the living room would have long ago wakened her. She was so against taking the pills that Lucas sometimes had to threaten her in order to grant her some sleep. She spent most of her nights sitting at her desk in their den, working early into the next morning on one drawing or another. Winifred hugged her father and cautiously made her way up to her bedroom, where she begrudgingly took the two tiny pills that had started the argument between her and her mother.

Lucas waited until there was no longer any noise coming from upstairs and then began to clean up the living room, carrying cups and forgotten chip bowls to the kitchen and folding up the blankets the boys had been using to build a fort under the coffee table. Turning out the lights, he quietly made his way to the bedroom.

Leaving the light off, he fumbled around for his blue and gray flannel pajama pants and pulled them on with the loose gray t-shirt he had already been wearing. Looking down at his wife, her golden curls splayed across the maroon pillowcase, he remembered a time when neither one of them had worried much about pajamas. Then, kids had entered their world. Kids meant the need for such things as pajamas and locked liquor cabinets. Then again, he thought with a smirk, having a friend like Brooke meant having locked liquor cabinets.

Climbing into bed, he carefully pulled Peyton into his arms and was surprised when she snuggled against him. "I thought you took a sleeping pill," he whispered wearily.

"Hmm," she murmured, shaking her head.

"Peyt," he sighed in concern.

"I'm fine. Just sleep," she whispered.

"Look who's talking,' he said before planting a kiss on the crown of her head. "Come here." He pulled her closer and rubbed her back, trying to convince himself that if he fell off to sleep, she would too; but that was a lie. "Fred is home."

"I heard."

"She feels awful. She's just frustrated. It must be hard, she hasn't felt great all summer."

"It's hard enough just to be thirteen," Peyton said softly.

"She needs space. Out little girl is growing up."

"Shut up, Scott."

"It's something that you're gonna have to live with, Scott," he shot back at her. They both smiled, relieving a bit of the tension surrounding the situation that had begun earlier that evening. What has started out as a simple request had erupted in a huge argument between Peyton and Winifred and it had ended with their daughter actually leaving the house. Lucas couldn't remember the last time, before that night, he had heard Peyton raise her voice. It had been a trying evening for all of them.

"I don't want them to grow up, Luke. I can't lose them."

"You won't lose them unless you don't let them grow up," Lucas said softly. "Let's get some sleep. It'll all look better in the morning." Peyton sighed and closed her eyes as she shifted slightly in his arms; it was going to be another sleepless night.

That was the first chapter. Let me know what you think and if I should continue from there. It will include Haley and Nathan, Brooke and Jake at a later point (they're still very much a part of Lucas's and Peyton's lives).


	2. Call it a Family

Thanks so much for the reviews! It was very encouraging to know that everyone liked the beginning. This is a really long chapter, mostly because it's expositional fluff. It mostly sets up the family situation before introducing the conflict(s). Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 2 Call it a Clan... Call it a Tribe, Call it a Family

The next thing Lucas knew, the Saturday morning sun was shining brightly into their bedroom, dragging him from a sound sleep. He rolled over to find a completely empty bed. Peyton's black silk nightgown and robe were already draped over the vanity chair, signaling to Lucas that she was up for the day. Rubbing his eyes to clear his vision, he stumbled out of his room and walked, zombie-like, into the equally sunny kitchen. Their house was surprisingly light and airy for two people who had spent a good deal of their youth brooding. Peyton was standing at the range that sat on an island in the middle of the kitchen, pouring a tiny bit of oil into a frying pan.

"Something smells good," Lucas said gruffly as he kissed her cheek and reached past her for the coffee pot. He poured the steaming black liquid into a mug Winifred had fashioned for him out of clay when she was five and then sat on a stool across from Peyton at the island.

"And it's not your tennis shoes," Peyton said with a pointed look at the backdoor, out of which she had thrown them that very morning.

"Forgot," he said half-apologetically. "Most men don't have to take their shoes off before they come into the house."

"Their shoes don't smell like yours."

"It's nice to be loved," Lucas said playfully.

"Oh, I love you alright," she said as she walked over and put her arms around him. She then leaned closer and kissed him. "Just not your shoes." Lucas laughed and she walked back to the skillet, into which she dropped spoonfuls of pancake batter. Lucas took another gulp of the coffee and carefully reached across the island to the plate of bacon that was strategically covered with a paper towel. Peyton had been watching him out of the corner of her eye and smacked his hand when it got to close. "Not yet. The kids aren't awake."

"Let's fix that, shall we?" Lucas grinned and Peyton flashed one of her famous smiles as she turned off the skillet and followed him up the stairs to the room that their seven-year-old and nine year old sons shared. Lucas threw open the door and they heard two very familiar groans as the boys pulled the comforters up over their heads. The blinds were quickly opened, letting the bright sun into the spacious room. Peyton stood by the door and laughed while Lucas attempted to pull the boys out of bed. He soon resorted to tickling and before she knew it, both boys shot out of the room and bounded down the stairs.

"I'll wake the girls," Peyton said softly as Lucas passed her.

"You get Fred. I'll take care of Gretch."

"You better hurry before Ry and Ash break something. You shouldn't wind them up like that." Although her words were true, Lucas could see in her smile that she didn't mind; it only reminded them how lucky they were to have such vibrant, and sometimes wild, children. Lucas disappeared into the room across the hall and was back in the hallway a minute later, three year old toddler in hand.

"She was already awake," Lucas said with a smile.

"So quiet, aren't we baby?" Peyton cooed at the blue-eyed beauty, who was grinning at her mother. She clapped her hands together and reached for her mom, wiggling in Lucas's capable grasp. "I'll be down in a minute, sweetie. Go with Daddy." Peyton kissed her forehead and watched as Lucas carried her down the stairs, wondering what she had done to deserve such beautiful children. She turned and faced her other daughter's door, wiping her hands nervously before knocking.

"Come in." The reply was soft, almost weak. Peyton opened the door and cautiously stepped inside, squinting to see her daughter in the relative dark. The blinds, not yet opened under the gauzy sage curtains, held out a majority of the daylight.

"Morning," Peyton said carefully.

"Hi mom." Winifred was in bed, curled up on her side but she obviously had been awake for a while.

"May I?" Peyton gestured to the blinds and moved to open them after Winifred nodded. "That's better," Peyton mumbled as she observed the pretty room in the morning sunlight.

Winifred had chosen the paint and fabrics last summer and they had spent weeks putting finishing touches on the now-magical room. It was a very sophisticated fairy tale type room, Peyton had assured her daughter at the time. Never having wanted things that were soft or pink, it had been a little difficult for Peyton to learn how to deal with a child who didn't spend most of her time brooding or worrying. Winifred had closed her eyes against the sunlight and it gave her mother a moment to study her peaked face.

Peyton sat on the edge of the bed and picked up a pillow that had been discarded in the night. "You're not going to ask how I am?"

"I figure you'll tell me if I need to know."

"It's killing you," Winifred said with a knowing smile.

"Am I that obvious?" Peyton smiled sheepishly when her daughter nodded. She swept a piece of hair from Winifred's forehead and frowned at the heat she felt. Ignoring Winifred's rolling eyes, she leaned forward and kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Oh Fred," she said with a sigh.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's—"

"It's not your fault," Peyton said with a sigh. "It's just frustrating."

"I know," Fred said again, this time with the beginnings of a sob. Peyton rubbed her back and allowed her to cry, not sure what else to do or say that would be the least bit helpful. Her own hazel eyes were puffy from crying by the time she joined the rest of the family in the kitchen. Lucas had made pancakes for the four of them and left enough batter for Peyton and Winifred.

"I'll make your pancakes," he offered as she reappeared in the room.

"Thanks. Not hungry," she said as she went straight for the medicine cabinet. Reaching into the tallest cabinet in the kitchen, she rooted around until she found the children's Motrin, and then groaned when she realized it was almost empty; less than a full dose sat at the bottom of the bottle. Lucas stood next to her and closed the cabinet, dragging her attention back to him.

"What's wrong?"

"She has another fever," Peyton said in a worried whisper.

"That's like the fourth time this month—" Lucas said disbelievingly.

"Trust me, I know. I'm going to run to the store—"

"I'll go."

"Luke—"

"Peyton. I'll go," he said firmly. "Stay here, have breakfast. I'll be back in a few minutes." He did return as quickly as promised but with a few extra purchases in hand. Flowers for Peyton; huge pink, orange, and purple Gerbera Daisies that made her smile. She kissed him before taking the medicine and adding it to a breakfast tray she was getting ready to take up to Winifred's room. The two boys were in their rooms getting dressed for the day and Gretchen sat contently in her highchair, painting sticky pictures on the counter with the syrup from her pancakes.

"You should still take the boys to the zoo," Peyton whispered. She didn't want the kids to overhear; that usually got them a little too excited; it was better to wait until they were in the parking lot of their destination before they disclosed any real information.

"No," Lucas said as he put his hands around her waist. "We'll stick around here today."

"Luke, I don't want them missing out on anything else. Call Nathan; see if he and Jared want to go with you. Haley probably needs a day off." She broke away from his embrace and began to move things around the tray and went to the refrigerator when she realized that she had forgotten apple juice.

"Peyton, you don't have to deal with everything on your own," Lucas said gently. He grabbed her hands in an effort to stop her fidgeting but she simply pulled away, refusing to make eye contact. "Pey, what are you worried about?"

"Our daughter," she said exasperatedly.

"Is it that bad?"

"No," she said softly with a shake of her head. "Same as before. But it just seems like a lot of time to be sick for a little girl."

"Do you want me to call and see if the doctor has an appointment open?"

"We were there on Tuesday and they practically called me a kook."

"Let's just wait it out, alright? We'll stick close to home today and see how she feels tomorrow. I was hoping we could do that picnic at the beach—"

"I guess we'll have to see," Peyton said with a small sigh. Her eyes lit up again and she looked up at him with a stern expression. "But you're going to the zoo."

"Peyton—"

"Coward," she accused with a small giggle.

"What?"

"You just don't want to have all three kids all day. You're afraid."

"That's ridiculous," Lucas said as he ran his hands through his hair. "I've spent plenty of time with the kids. We can certainly get along without you for one day."

"Then prove it, tough guy."

"We will," he said stubbornly, turning to walk down the hall.

"Where are you going?" She called playfully after him.

"To call Nate." Peyton laughed as she watched his figure disappear down the hall and into their bedroom. Gretchen saw her mother laughing and joined in, clapping her sticky hands together and patting them on her thin blond curls.

"Oh Gretch. What did you do?" Peyton asked, still laughing. The little girl simply looked at her and grinned, once more clapping her hands. Peyton shook her head and went to the sink, carefully avoiding Gretchen's range of motion – she didn't want to have to bath herself as well. As soon as she wiped the syrup from her daughter's hands and face, she picked her up and carried her, at arms length, to the bathroom on the main floor.

"Luke! Could you take that tray up to Fred? Gretchen needs a bath before you can go!"

"Sure!" Minutes later, she heard Lucas's heavy footsteps ascending to the second floor of their home. She turned back to Gretchen just in time to get a splash of water in the face.

"Thanks," Peyton said sarcastically. "What did I ever do to you?" She asked playfully as she tickled the little girl. Predictably, neither of the two Scott women left the bathroom dry. Ashton, Ryan, and Lucas all wandered into the master bedroom as Peyton was attempting to change her dripping clothing. "Good thing I'm not modest," she mumbled as she rolled her eyes at Lucas and then threw the dripping t-shirt in the clothes hamper.

Ryan, the older of the two boys, snarled in disgust when he saw that Peyton was changing her shirt. "Hey, you're a girl," he said in outrage as he put his hands over his eyes.

"A girl who is your mother," Lucas reminded him in a warning tone. Nevertheless, Ryan refused to remove his hands from his eyes until Peyton promised she was dressed again. She straightened the red tank and went to her closet to search for a white button down covered in an array of red flowers.

"Okay, why's everyone in my room? It only happens when I try to change."

"For your inspection," Lucas announced in a silly voice as he pushed the two boys forward.

"Do I gotta wear this?" Ryan asked grumpily.

"Do you have a better idea?" Peyton asked. The little boy shook his head and sat unhappily on the edge of their bed, his blond hair falling across his forehead as a result of the messy cut he insisted on keeping. He looked adorable in his khaki cargo shorts and navy Hawaiian button down over a white t-shirt. Peyton couldn't blame him for being unhappy with his father's choice; she had never been one to follow mainstream style. Ashton beamed at his mother from beside his father and she reached down to playfully ruffle his brown hair. He was the only one of their four children to have more of Lucas's features than her own.

"My boys," she cooed as she looked at the three of them. "Don't you all look so handsome?" With her last statement, she stood on her toes and kissed Lucas, making Ryan groan in protest.

"That's nasty. You're married!" Lucas and Peyton simply laughed.

"I think you're ready to go," Peyton whispered. She ran a brush through Gretchen's hair one last time and pulled it into a loose ponytail. The little girl looked adorable as usual in a tiny blue sundress and white sweater. The only problem was the pair of bright pink glittered tennis shoes that she refused to leave the house without. Peyton simply grinned and allowed it; who was she to stunt her child's individuality?

"Let's go," Lucas said enthusiastically, causing Ashton to run out to the front door and Gretchen to follow close behind.

"I'm too old for the zoo," Ryan countered.

"That's too bad," Peyton said as she bit her lip in mock sadness. "It just means you're old enough to stay home and cut the grass. Right Lucas?" Lucas nodded his head, trying to keep a grave expression on his face.

"That's why I still go to the zoo. You're too old for the zoo; you have to cut your mom's grass. That's life."

"You two are so weird," he said with a roll of his eyes. They both laughed. "Bye Mom." Without so much of a wave, he was gone. Peyton pretended to pout but Lucas quickly fixed the situation by kissed her. After a few heated moments, she pushed him away and took a deep breath.

"You have to go," she said breathlessly. He stood in front of her for a moment, still caught up in the moment. "Go! Before you can't. Trust me, we're not getting any alone time until after they've been to the zoo."

"Zoo first," Lucas said mournfully. Peyton nodded, pointing to the door. He leaned back into the doorway. "Can't we just send them with Nathan? He'll understand. Especially this."

"Luke," she said with a stern look. "Go."

"Have a good day," he called over his shoulder.

"Sure," Peyton called after him sarcastically. She watched them leave and then turned back to the quiet house, trying to decide what to do first.

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The title of the chapter comes from this quote:

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. Jane Howard (author),


	3. Daughter Am I in My Mother's House

Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy and let me know what you think! l

Chapter 3 Daughter Am I in My Mother's House

Peyton went back into her bedroom, picked up their laundry hamper and carried it into the hallway, where she dumped it down the chute. She trudged up the stairs and attacked the kids' rooms, taking little time to investigate which clothes were actually dirty. In the boys' room, everything suspicious went down the chute.

"Hey sweetie," she said as she popped her head into Winifred's room. "Any dirty clothes?" She looked up from her book and shook her head.

"I put them downstairs yesterday."

"Thanks. What'cha reading?"

"Anne Frank," she said as she held up the book.

"That's a sad one," Peyton said as she moved to sit on the end of the bed, facing her daughter. Winifred shrugged her shoulders and set the book down.

"Dad says that books don't have to be happy all the time because people aren't."

"He's a pretty smart guy, your dad." Winifred nodded. "How was breakfast?" Peyton posed the question after seeing the almost full tray on the nightstand.

"Don't worry, dad made me take the medicine."

"I wasn't worried. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. But I'm sort of tired. I might take a nap."

"Sounds like a plan," Peyton said resolutely, trying to hide her concern. "I'll leave you alone. I'll be in the laundry room. Call if you need anything."

"Thanks mom," she said as she snuggled under the covers. Peyton pulled them up around her shoulders and kissed her forehead before turning out the light. She closed the door quietly behind her, turned around, and screamed.

"Haley! God! You scared me!"

"Mom?" Winifred had heard her mother's initial scream and run to the door.

"It's okay," Peyton assured her as she reopened the door. "Aunt Haley just literally popped up."

"Hey kid-o," Haley said with a warm smile.

"Hi," Winifred said with a small yawn. Peyton walked her back over to the bed and tucked her back in. This time, when she reached the hallway, she smacked Haley.

"Hey! Pregnant woman!"

"Hello! Ever heard of making your presence known?"

"I have known you for almost fifteen years, Lucas for twenty. I've never knocked."

"You don't have to knock," Peyton hissed. "But at least make a little noise. You could scare a person to death." All the while, through their argument, they were headed back to Peyton's room.

"My God," Haley said as she saw Peyton reach down to turn the door handle, "you really were scared. You're still shaking."

"I just wasn't expecting it," Peyton said agitatedly. "What's up?"

"I found out you granted me a free day. Nathan and Jared just left with Lucas and the kids."

"I'm sure they'll have interesting stories to tell. What are you going to do with the time?"

"I thought I'd convince you to do some shopping, but I didn't realize Luke didn't take Fred with him."

"She's not feeling well."

"I noticed last night. What's up?"

"We don't know," Peyton said uncomfortably. "Just a little fever. I'm sure it's nothing."

"You don't sound sure," Haley noted.

"I'm not," Peyton said as she sat down and allowed her head to fall to her hands. "I don't know what to think. Is it normal? Everyone keeps telling me I'm imagining things. But she's sick."

"Fred did seem pretty upset last night when she stopped by."

"What do you mean?"

"Listen before you get mad," Haley said with a solemn expression. Peyton nodded for Haley to continue. "Maybe you're over-analyzing what's really there. Fred thinks you worry too much about her. Maybe all of your worrying is making her seem sicker than she actually is."

"You think I'm making my own child sick?" Peyton asked incredulously.

"No," Haley said quickly. "That came out wrong. No. I think that you worry too much. That's all. Give it time."

"That's what Lucas said."

"Lucas is a smart guy." They chatted for a few more minutes about Peyton's latest drawings and Haley's impending addition to the family. Eventually, Haley left to run her errands and Peyton continued to work on the laundry; a daunting task that, while not new, was her least favorite thing about life in general. If she thought Lucas could do the laundry without ruining her precious wardrobe, she would have thrown the task to him in their early years of marriage. As it was, he was trusted only with loads that couldn't possibly be ruined; such as bath towels and dishtowels. The day went by quickly for all involved and before she really had a chance to sit down and relax, her family returned.

Lucas walked in carrying a sleeping Gretchen while a very tired Ashton held onto his father's pocket and swayed a little as they entered the house. Ryan looked fairly content as he walked in behind the others but he headed straight to his room and turned on his MP3 Player. Peyton tried to enjoy a dinner alone with Lucas after the kids had fallen asleep but she was distracted. Eventually, she excused herself and he promised to do the dishes. Picking up her purse and car keys, she walked out the front door and got behind the wheel of her trusty old car. It may have been older than her, but Lucas made certain that it never stopped running well. After a walk around the park in the waning light, she found herself driving to a familiar spot.

Peyton rapped lightly on the door to the café, knowing that Karen was probably still inside getting ready for the next day. After a few seconds, the familiar figure appeared and opened the door with a smile after she saw it was her daughter in law on the other side. Peyton hugged Karen tightly, genuinely happy to see the one constant mother figure in her life. The grandmother of the blossoming Scott family still looked as young as ever but her brown hair was lightly sprinkled with flecks of silver that reminded everyone that she too was aging.

"Hi sweetie. How are you?" Peyton smiled half-heartedly. It was all the answer Karen needed. She relocked the front door and ushered the other woman into the kitchen where she had a fresh pot of tea already seeping.

"How's Keith?"

"Alright. Driving himself crazy at home. I'm glad he didn't hurt his back any sooner. I don't know if I would have married him if I knew he'd be around the house so much. He's more addicted to soaps than any woman I've ever met." They both laughed, but it was an obvious façade. Karen poured two cups of the steaming liquid and handed one to Peyton, studying her carefully. "You didn't come to talk about Keith."

"I don't want to worry you. But I needed someone to talk to. Luke doesn't always understand. He tries—"

"I love my son. But he's a man. And they don't understand certain things. What's going on?" Peyton took a deep breath and stared at the table for a moment, attempting to collect her scattered thoughts.

"Has Luke mentioned anything about Fred?"

"Not lately. Is something wrong?"

"I don't know," Peyton admitted in a frustrated tone. "She hasn't been herself in months. I don't know if you've noticed, but she's always sick."

"She does look pretty tired after school. But she's growing up Peyton. All the changes she's going through, they can drag you down for a while."

"I know, I thought of that. But it's just too weird. She gets fevers all the time and she's always sleeping. I've taken her to the doctors so many times that the receptionists know me by name. They think I'm crazy."

"What do you think?"

"Something's wrong," Peyton stated with a pleading look in her eyes; she needed someone to believe her. "It's been months since she's played. She doesn't play ball with Lucas anymore – it tires her out too fast."

"What does Lucas think?"

"That we should wait and see. He thinks she's just going through a phase or something."

"What do you think about waiting?"

"That's what you think we should do."

"I didn't say that," Karen argued.

"But that's what you think."

"Peyton," Karen said softly as she sat down across from her daughter-in-law, "when Lucas was little, I would rush him to the doctor's office for every little thing. It wasn't until he got a little older that I realized it was mostly in my mind. I was so afraid that something would happen to him, I convinced myself that he was possibly sick."

"So we wait."

"Unless you have a good indication that it's serious. Otherwise, rushing into things will just worry everyone." The answer wasn't exactly what Peyton had been looking for, but it was enough to pacify her worries. She returned home twenty minutes later to a waiting Lucas.

The title of the chapter comes from this quotation:

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)  
"Daughter am I in my mother's house;  
But mistress in my own."  
_Our Lady of the Snows._


	4. Falling in Love Many Times

Thanks so much to everyone who is reviewing but especially to tardychick06, lysser8312, and a.k.a.-ashley who have all been reviewing for every chapter – it's wonderful to know you're all enjoying the story! Here's the next part... it's a little long, but I might not be able to update for a few days as a direct result of impending midterms.

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Chapter 4 Falling in Love Many Times

Two weeks later, they were all in back-to-school mode. Peyton spent most of her time shopping with one kid or another and Lucas went over his lesson plans and had a few meetings with the upcoming basketball team. The night before the first day, they had a big family dinner with Nathan, Haley, and their son Jared, Jenny, Jake, Brooke, Karen, and Keith. When their families had first begun to take shape, Haley and Peyton had foolishly attempted to include the Scott grandparents but that always tended to end in trouble. It was far more harmonious without Dan and Deb. Although they were still made to face weekly dinners at Dan's bequest, they compensated by having their own fun at other times. The visitors left soon after dinner since the kids all had to be in bed early; it was the eve of the first day of school, after all.

"I'm too old to be tucked in," Ryan challenged scornfully when Peyton poked her head in his door.

"Okay," she said calmly, skirting his side of the room to kiss Ashton, who had already set his book aside and curled up in bed. "G'night Ash," she said softly after kissing his forehead. She avoided Ryan once more and left the room.

"You can still say goodnight!" He yelled after her. She smirked and leaned back into the doorway.

"Good night Ryan."

"'Night mom." Peyton shook her head and stood in the hallway, trying to remember when they had grown up so quickly. Lucas passed her in the hallway to say goodnight to the boys.

"Ryan's too old to be tucked in," she warned playfully. Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise and chuckled.

"It was going to happen sooner or later. Gretchen's sleeping."

"Thank you," she replied softly and then headed down the hall to check on the three year old. Her last stop was Winifred's room, where the door was already closed. She knocked softly and waited for permission to enter. She walked in to see the young girl at her desk, closing a sketchpad. Although she didn't use her drawing like her mother had, as an emotional release, Winifred had quite a bit of artistic talent. The child who seemed most like Peyton when it came to art was Ryan; he often got into trouble in school because he doodled on just about every available surface. And the representations were never what you would call cheerful; Lucas and Peyton had already spent time in the guidance office trying to assure the well-meaning counselors that Ryan was simply artistic and expressive, not problematic.

"Hey."

"Hi Mom."

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Winifred nodded and turned to her computer, which she quickly shut down. "Eighth grade is a big year."

"Not that big."

"The last year of middle school is a pretty big deal."

"Maybe."

"Are you still staying after for try-outs tomorrow?" Since they had seen pictures of Peyton in her cheerleading days, Winifred and her best friend Lindsay decided they also wanted to be cheerleaders. They had already gone to mini-cheerleading camps but this would be the first year they would be eligible to actually cheer for the junior varsity teams. Peyton hadn't been certain she wanted Winifred to follow her in those footsteps. Then Lucas reminded her that she had been able to maintain her individuality through her many years as cheerleader and then as captain of the squad. If Peyton could do it, they should allow Winifred the same choice.

"I want to," Winifred said resolutely. "Yeah, I think so. Lindsay is going to stay too. We'll walk home together."

"I'll pick you both up," Peyton said firmly.

"Okay." Winifred knew her parent's policy on walking home from school; it didn't happen until high school. The middle school was a little too far from home and much too close to the main roads for Peyton's liking. They were silent for a moment and just as Peyton was about to get up and leave, Winifred looked as though she wanted to say something. After a few moments of thought, she did. "Promise not to freak out if I tell you something? You can't overreact or anything."

"I can try," Peyton said as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"You have to promise."

"I promise," Peyton said dryly.

"I don't believe you."

"Winifred—"

"Alright. Okay. I think—I think—" Peyton could tell that she was trying to decide how to say whatever was on her mind. Suddenly, she launched forward on the bed and whispered something in her mom's ear, causing Peyton to burst out laughing. "What? Why are you laughing?" Winifred was clearly upset by her mother's reaction.

"I'm sorry," Peyton said as she tried to slow her laughs. She took a tissue from the box on the nightstand and tried to dry her eyes. She was simply relieved that it was something normal, something that probably explained how her little girl had been feeling for the short time prior. She was growing up; that realization truly had Peyton wanting to cry. "You had me worried for a minute. I thought it was something serious. But that's nothing to worry about."

"Really?"

"Really," Peyton promised. They spent the next hour or so, much to Winifred's horror, talking about girly things. At one point the young girl finally threatened to never speak to her mother again if they didn't change the subject. Lucas poked his head in to say goodnight just after they finished talking.

"'Night bug," he said with a silly grin. He knew she thought she was too old for childhood nicknames, but she would always be his first baby.

"Dad!" Winifred groaned and threw a pillow at him.

"Sorry," he said as he caught the pillow and tossed it back. He moved mockingly into a formal position, standing straight up and speaking slowly with rigid facial expression. She thought he looked a bit like one of the guards in front of Windsor Palace in England. "Good night, Miss Winifred."

"Dad!" She said with a giggle. "He is so weird." Peyton simply laughed and shook her head as he ducked back out of the doorway. She looked down and saw that the young girl had a panicked look on her face. "Don't tell him."

"Don't tell him what?" It took Peyton a minute to remember what they had been talking about. "Oh Fred. He already knows about the birds and the bees. Trust me. His best friend growing up was a girl."

"Still," Winifred protested. "Don't tell him."

"Okay," Peyton promised as she leaned over to hug her daughter. "I won't tell him. But he'll know eventually. I love you, sweetie."

"Love you too." Peyton walked into her bedroom and collapsed on the bed, ignoring the fact that she was sitting on piles of paper Lucas had set out earlier.

"Hope that was nothing important," she said wearily.

"Not likely," he said from his desk, where he was finishing a letter. He wrote letters about once a month and after fifteen years of marriage, Peyton still didn't know who he wrote to. He put down his pen, stood up, and swept her into his arms. "How are you?"

"Tired," she said as she buried her face in his chest.

"Let's go to bed then."

"Uh-uh," she mumbled with a shake of her head. "Lunches to pack. I have to get a bath—"

"Two things I can help with," Lucas said as he kissed the top of her head and set her back down on the bed, this time away from his previously meticulous piles of handouts and lesson plans. She lay down on the comforter and listened as the water faucets came on in the bathroom and the CD player clicked on to Norah Jones, one of the few jazz artists she liked. "You're not going to help me at all, are you?" He asked when he came back and found her lying down. She shook her head and he chuckled as he picked her back up and carried her into the bathroom. Soon she was soaking in a luxurious whirlpool bath, complete with raspberry bubbles.

"I'm pretty sure I love you," she cooed when he leaned close to kiss her.

"I'm glad," he returned softly. He disappeared for about ten minute and when he returned, she was practically sleeping. He set the two glasses of wine on the bathroom counter and disrobed.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to sleep in the tub? You could drown."

"I knew you'd save me," she whispered as he sat down beside her. She shook her head at the glass of wine he offered her.

"Lunches are made. Kids are sleeping. Alarms are set."

"Oh good."

"What's with Fred? She seemed very secretive tonight."

"I'm not allowed to tell you," Peyton said playfully.

"Already?" He groaned. "But she's just a little girl."

"Not anymore," she said mournfully. "But I'm glad that's all it was. I always feel a little achy before mine. She was probably a little worse since this was the first time. But I feel better knowing that was the problem. Maybe she'll perk up now."

"Peyton, do you realize what you just said? She officially became a teenage girl. Did you perk up when you were a teenager? From what I remember – you were the least cheery person I knew." He quoted his younger self and Peyton hit him playfully in the chest.

"You were Mr. Broody himself. You can't talk. Besides, Fred is different. She'll be fine."

"I know. Okay," he said as he took a sip of his wine and tried to hand her glass over once more. "Five minute of no kids. We're not allowed to even mention their names." Peyton finally took a sip of the wine and set it on the edge of the tub. And they stared at each other.

"We've already wasted two minutes. I've got nothing."

"Me neither," Lucas admitted. Their lives revolved around their children; they knew it and they loved it.

"How's the team going to do this year?"

"I don't know. They're looking pretty good, but Greeley hurt his shoulder at the end of last season. He's one of my best, but I don't want to risk his shoulder just to get ahead."

"What's the problem then?"

"His old man had been on my back since practices started last week. He wants his son playing every second of every game."

"Sounds familiar," Peyton commented.

"It brings back some bad memories," Lucas agreed with a nod. "If I ever get that stupid with Ashton or Ryan, knock some sense into me."

"Oh, I plan to," she assured him. "But I don't worry about you. It's Nathan who's a little too involved with Jared's practices. Haley and I were watching Jared and Ry practice and the coach actually asked that Nathan sit further from the bench at games this year. And they're still in elementary school."

"A few years from now, there are going to be two more Scott relatives on the Tree Hill varsity team."

"Scary thought. I may need a few valium to live through that again."

"Jared and Ryan like each other though."

"You and Nathan were scarier to watch once you started playing together. You were natural targets for the other teams' biggest guys. They knew the best way to get an advantage was to take one of you out of the game. I stopped breathing every time one of you went down. I'm not watching that happen to my son."

"Hey, calm down." He scooted behind her and began to gently message her tense shoulder and neck muscles. In just the last few minutes, Peyton had gone from drowsy and disconnected to completely alert and agitated. "We've got a few years to worry about it." He kissed the back of her neck and then shifted to kiss her on the lips. The conversation ended there, their bath a few minutes later, but the night was far from over. Despite the hectic and sometimes stressful days the dealt with constantly, they always found their way back to one another. After thirteen years of marriage, the couple was finding that no day could end badly when it included falling in love all over again.

* * *

Quote used for this title:

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." Mignon McLaughlin, _The Second Neurotic's Notebook_, 1966


	5. Count All the Bees in the Hive

Chapter 5 Count All the Bees in the Hive

* * *

The next morning was hectic simply because it was the first day of school. Despite laying her clothes out the night before, Winifred couldn't find just the right shoes to go with her outfit and Ryan was mystified as to why he couldn't wear a huge, heavy black hoodie in eighty degree weather. Gretchen sat in her highchair and giggled good-naturedly as she watched her parents and siblings run around that morning. After standing for their mother's obligatory first-day-of-school picture, the three oldest Scott siblings scrambled into their dad's SUV and watched in disgust as Peyton and Lucas kissed goodbye.

"Have a good day," Peyton called after them as she waved from the driveway, Gretchen holding her other hand and also waving. "You think they're going to be okay, baby?" Gretchen grinned in answer. "Me too, me too," Peyton agreed softly as she swung the little girl up into her arms and walked back into the house. After cleaning up a little and running the sweeper, Peyton sat Gretchen down with a few toys in the 'pen' Lucas had created for her in the corner of their office. The little girl couldn't actually go anywhere; but she seemed content with her little play area between the back of the sofa, two window seats, and her mom's drawing table. Having Gretchen confined to a certain space was the only way Peyton could get any work done during the day.

Trying not to think about the rest of the family and what they might be coming across, Peyton pulled out one of her sketchpads and starting working on the next installment of one of her comic strips. She was freelance and had always been after she had gotten pregnant in college. It gave her something to focus on, though, and her work was becoming quite popular up and down the east coast. Her creations brought in enough money to ensure that they would never have to worry about their children's education and allowed her to feel less guilt over her ever-growing music collection. The well cared for vinyl records and musical CDs were housed along built-in bookshelves in their game room downstairs along side Lucas's collection of rare and first-edition books.

That particular morning, she and Gretchen listened to a mix of Beatles songs as they worked and played. The phone rang just before noon and Peyton stretched before picking it up. "It's Daddy," she said to Gretchen before answering.

"Hey Luke."

"Caller ID just takes away all the fun," he said jokingly.

"It's lunch time," she said, a bit surprised.

"What would you do if I didn't call at lunch?"

"Miss lunch," Peyton answered honestly. "What's on the menu for today?"

"Something that looks like old gym socks," he paused and Peyton could hear another voice in the background, "Haley tells me they're dumplings. And this gray stuff is turkey." His voice suddenly grew lower and more secretive. "I'm sticking with the gym socks theory." Peyton laughed and stood up, stretching further and cringing as her back and knees cracked. She really did some damage sitting at her desk all morning.

"Tell Hales hello for me." Lucas and Haley worked together, he as the advanced English teacher and she as the honors Calculus teacher. It sometimes made Peyton jealous that they still shared so much, but it made it easier that Haley was also one of her very best friends. Her best friend, most of the time, since she almost never saw Brooke.

"She says hello back. How are you guys?"

"Peachy. Did everyone get off alright this morning?"

"Without a hitch. They were all fine. I got Ryan's MP3 player off of him just in time."

"That's my kid," she said with a chuckle.

"He's more like the two of us than we'd ever want to admit," he added. "So far, it seems like a good first day. But I miss my girls. Kiss Gretch for me. Have a good lunch."

"You too. Don't choke on the gym socks. Love you."

"Love you too. See you soon." Peyton hung up the phone and looked over at Gretchen, who was contentedly stacking wooden blocks into a dozen or so towers.

"Building your own metropolis, babe?" Gretchen looked at her and grinned mischievously before clapping and then unceremoniously knocking the towers over. Peyton raised her eyebrows in surprise and shook her head. "Whatever you want, kid." She picked up the tiny girl and kissed her on top of her blond curls. "Time for lunch." Gretchen sat in her highchair and squealed to the tune of Stereophonics while Peyton danced around the kitchen and made lunch. She usually kept the music light around the kids; her precious musical preferences just weren't family friendly.

After lunch, they locked up the house and took a stroll, Peyton walking at a dauntingly slow pace so that Gretchen's tiny, fumbling steps could keep up. A slight breeze blew, rustling the still-green leaves as they walked through the quiet neighborhood. In her more paranoid moods, Peyton often wondered how safe it was in her neighborhood during the day; not many people stayed at home and it often felt like she and Gretchen were completely alone.

Gretchen went down for a nap and Peyton was able to finish one more strip before she heard the door open just after three thirty. Putting her pencil down, she took a deep breath and went to the kitchen, where she found Ashton looking through the refrigerator.

"Chocolate chip cookies in the jar," Peyton told him.

"Cool," he said in a non-committal voice as he grabbed the milk and set it on the counter.

"How was school?"

"Good."

"That's it?"

"Yep."

"Where's your brother?" Ashton shrugged his shoulders, poured milk into a glass, and grabbed a handful of cookies, which he carried over to the island. He was sitting, munching on his snack, when Ryan walked in toting a pretty young girl behind.

"Hi," Peyton said when she saw them.

"Hi mom," Ryan said in a tone and with an expression that warned her not to make him look stupid. "This is Laura. Laura, this is my mom."

"Hi," the young girl said shyly. She kept her blue eyes cast down at the floor the entire time. She had a pretty smile but Peyton could see that she was almost painfully reserved.

"Hi, nice to meet you. Why don't you two sit down and have a snack?" Peyton walked over to the refrigerator and poured herself a glass of iced tea and then watched Ryan walk around and gather a snack for himself and Laura. She was surprised when he chose yogurt and ice water; who was he and what had he done with her sugar-loving son?

"You guys be ready to go in an hour. We have to pick Fred up at the school."

"You said Ashton was your only brother," Laura said softly.

"Fred's a girl. Winifred."

"Oh."

"My mom and dad are sort of weird. I'm lucky I got Ryan." Laura nodded, not quite sure how else to answer his statement.

"How was your day, you two?"

"Good mom," Ryan said sullenly, trying to convey his displeasure at being spoken to by his mother in front of a friend. Laura simply smiled a bit and looked down at the counter, allowing her hair to curtain her flushed cheeks.

"Can I go ride bikes with Kiefer?" Ashton asked as soon as he had downed the cookies and milk.

"Any homework?"

"Nope."

"Go ahead. Be home by quarter to five. We have to go and get Fred."

"Okay," Ashton yelled over his shoulder as he ran out the door, grabbing his helmet from the hall closet as he want. Peyton excused herself and walked up to the second floor to check on Gretchen, who was awake and playing with one of her dolls. It was a pretty rag-doll type thing that Haley had made when Peyton was stuck in the hospital before the baby's birth. The fourth pregnancy had been difficult for the entire family and Peyton still thanked God every night that she had Gretchen in her life.

* * *

Sorry... this chapter ends a bit abruptly because it's mostly fluff, I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! Thanks for reading!

The title comes from the refrain of "Return to Pooh Corner" by Kenny Loggins.

"_So help me if you can/ I've got to get back/ To the House at Pooh Corner by one/ You'd be surprised/ There's so much to be done/ Count all the bees in the hive/ Chase all the clouds from the sky/ Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh_"


	6. Mothers be Good to Your Daughters Too

Thanks for the reviews so far! I'm happy that there are people enjoying the story. Here's the next installment.

* * *

**Chapter 6 Mothers be Good to Your Daughters Too**

A little over an hour later, she knocked on the door to the boys' room and told them that they needed to leave if they were going to pick up Fred on time. Ryan, Laura, and Ashton came out of the room and joined Peyton and Gretchen in the kitchen. When Laura spotted the clock, Peyton saw her face fall and turn to an almost ghostly pallor.

"Is it really that late? Your clock said 4:30." Peyton barely heard the young girl's words because they were almost whispered to Ryan. Ryan shrugged; he didn't know whether or not the clock in their room was right. "I have to go. I'm late. Thanks for the snack," she said in a whisper as she picked up her book bag.

"You're welcome to come by anytime. And wait a sec, I'll drop you off at home after we pick up Fred."

"No, it's okay."

"Where do you live?"

"Chestnut Street," Laura answered as she stared at the floor.

"Come on, I'll drive you. It's too far to walk."

"It's okay—"

"No, it's not." Peyton insisted, so they all piled into her Lexus. She hadn't wanted anything but her own car, but Lucas, Nathan, her father, and Karen had all petitioned that she drive something safer once the children were in the picture. She believed that Nathan's exact words included something like "your driving is bad enough, you shouldn't be driving them around in a death trap." She still was not convinced until Haley sent her the statistics on the possibility of survival in the case of an accident; that quickly changed her mind. And so, the next day, she and Lucas had gone car shopping while Haley babysat for the newborn Winifred. Thirteen years later, Peyton was on her third "soccer mom" type vehicle.

She turned in her seat to make sure that they were all buckled in before starting the engine. Ryan groaned from behind her when the Beatles came on the CD player. "Come on Mom, can't we listen to something remotely cool?"

"The Beatles are very cool," Peyton replied with a smile as she pulled off their street and headed toward the middle school. She glanced in the mirror and saw that Laura was looking almost fearfully out the window. After they picked up an exhausted Fred from the gymnasium entrance, Peyton headed into Lucas's old neighborhood, where Laura apparently lived. They passed the house where Karen still resided and continued onto a connecting street, where Laura quietly informed them that she lived in the third house on the right. Peyton stopped the vehicle Laura jumped out, quickly thanking them and then making a mad dash to the front door of the tiny house.

Back at home, Ryan groaned loudly as they entered through the kitchen. "What's wrong?"

"Laura left her homework folder here."

"Can't you give it to her in class tomorrow?"

"Her parents have to sign the papers in here or she has to stay inside at recess."

"Don't worry. I'll drop them off after dinner." The offer gained her a suspicious look from Ryan. "I promise not to embarrass you. Too much." Ryan rolled his eyes but, in a surprise move, hugged her.

"What's that for?" She posed her question with a laugh as she playfully ruffled his hair.

"I don't know," said Ryan as he shrugged his shoulders and then disappeared to get ready for dinner.

"Mom, I'm going to take a nap before dinner," Winifred said softly. Peyton looked immediately concerned and leaned across the island counter to feel her daughter's forehead. Not surprisingly, it was warm. Without comment, Peyton pulled the bottle of Motrin from the kitchen cabinet and handed the pills to Winifred, who took them without complaint. "Wake me up for dinner?" Peyton nodded but didn't speak; she never lied to her children. She was still deep in thought over the incidents of the day when Lucas walked through the door five minutes later.

He walked in the kitchen door and kissed Peyton as he walked past to put his bag in the den. "What's up?" He stopped when he realized that she was off in space somewhere, not actually paying a bit of attention to him. She shook her head and continued to saw at the bread she was trying to cut.

"We're having breadcrumbs tonight?" Lucas asked with a laugh when he looked at the cutting board and noticed that was exactly what she had created.

"If you don't stop laughing, that's just what you'll be having."

"I'm stopping."

"I thought you might."

"Bad day?" He stepped behind her and put his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind.

"No," Peyton answered slowly. "Just different."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Later."

"Okay. I'll be back in a minute." Five minutes later, once Lucas had exchanged his Dockers, button up, and tie for khaki shorts and a tee shirt, the family reconvened for dinner. Peyton had planned to allow Winifred to sleep, but she must have heard Ryan in the hallway because she arrived at the table of her own accord.

"How was school?" The question Lucas posed was a general one, open to anyone who dared approach it. Ashton quickly complied, explaining in great detail all the things he would be expected to do in the second grade. After much prodding on the part of Lucas, Ryan informed them that the day had been 'alright' and his teacher had seemed 'nice.'

"How was your day, Fred?"

"It was okay."

"Just okay?"

"Yeah."

"How did practice go?" Peyton was curious about the cheerleading situation; she was anxious to see how it would turn out and hoped that Winifred would enjoy it more than she did in her earlier years.

"It was okay," Fred said again, this time intently casting her eyes down at her plate. So that is where the day had gone wrong. The conversation slowly veered to the start of basketball season and the party that Peyton was supposed to host as the wife of the coach. Dan's yearly basketball party had long since ended but a party always happened. In the most recent years, the responsibility had fallen to the head coach and his family.

After the dinner dishes had been cleared and Lucas promised that he and Ashton would finish washing them, Peyton climbed the steps to Winifred's room; she was determined to find out what had happened at cheerleading. She remembered the promise to Ryan, but she still had time to drop off the little girl's notebook after she skillfully invaded her daughter's privacy. Knocking on the door, she waited to hear an invitation. Winifred was at her computer, apparently conversing with friends by way of instant messenger and web cam. Some things never changed. Peyton cringed; there was pop music coming from her daughter's computer. Some things did apparently change.

"Hi Fred."

"Hi Mom," she said without turning around. She changed the music, well versed in her mother's hatred of pop. They were silent for a few moments before Winifred decided not to skirt around the issue. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Then there's something to talk about?"

"Not really."

"Really?"

"Mom," Winifred said with an agitated groan.

"Okay," Peyton said as she raised her hands in defense. "I'll drop it. But if you want to talk—"

"I know where you live," Winifred said sassily.

"Funny." Peyton raised her eyebrows and stood up. "You're very funny." She smiled, leaned down, and dropped a kiss on the top of her daughter's head. "Get the homework done. You don't need to stay up late tonight. Bed by ten, got it?" Winifred nodded and watched as her mother half-heartedly walked out of the room. She wasn't used to not being able to glean information from her children and it didn't sit well with her.

* * *

The title of this chapter comes from the refrain of John Mayer's song _Daughters._

"Fathers be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

Girls become lovers who turn into mothers

So mothers be good to your daughters too"


	7. Depending on One Another

Chapter 7 Depending on One Another

Realizing that Fred wasn't going to share with her the travesties of the cheerleading practice, Peyton decided to take a drive back to Lucas's old neighborhood with Laura's folder. Pulling on a lightweight jacket, she poked her head into the den where Lucas was sitting with Ashton, reading with him from _Where the Red Fern Grows_. Peyton cringed at the book; she knew how it ended and she could only imagine what Ashton's reaction might be; he was the most sensitive of her kids. "I have to go drop something off for Ryan's friend. She left her school work here," Peyton said as she dangled her car keys in the air.

"Do me a favor and take the Lexus. It's supposed to rain anytime now. And be careful." Peyton rolled her eyes but smiled a little as she resolved herself to driving the green SUV instead of her beloved old black convertible. She nodded, looking at the beautiful picture in front of her. Lucas was now in a pair of old sweat pants and a t-shirt, his blond hair tousled from a bit of roughhousing with his two boys, and his wire-rimmed glasses looking as cute as ever. She still remembered the day he'd been told he needed glasses. He had been very stubborn about the entire deal and even suggested that the doctor might be wrong. After a long discussion with Peyton about glasses not necessarily indicating his getting on in years and quite a bit of heckling from his brother and sister-in-law, Lucas caved and begun to wear the spectacles when reading. The wire frames slid down the bridge of his nose just slightly as he sat with his son, reading from the book. Ashton, looking very tired, was snuggled in his dad's lap on the sofa while Lucas held the book in front of them both.

"Anything else?" Lucas asked with mock-impatience. "We're reading here."

"No," Peyton said with a grin. "I'm leaving. Be back soon."

"I love you!" Lucas called after her.

"Me, you," she called over her shoulder before continuing out of the house. She was still grinning as she pulled in front of Laura's house on Chestnut Street. There were lights on in the house, and it was barely eight o'clock, so Peyton didn't think twice about ringing the doorbell. The door was answered by a woman in her early thirties, possibly even younger than Peyton herself, dressed in a hideous housedress and hunched over so far that she appeared to be the height of a small child.

"Hi," Peyton said with a bit of uncertainty. "I'm Peyton Scott. I'm Ryan's mom. Laura left her folder at the house this afternoon, and Ry was afraid she might need it."

"That was very nice of you," the woman said meekly. "Although, Laura wasn't supposed to go anywhere after school."

"Oh—" Peyton said in surprise. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize. I don't think they had any homework, being the first day—"

"That's not the point. Young girls don't need to be out gallivanting."

"I would hardly call our kitchen out gallivanting," Peyton said with a wry smile. "But if those are your rules, I hope we can still arrange something for another time. She and Ryan seem to get along so well—"

"No offence, Mrs. Scott—"

"Peyton—"

"Peyton. We raise our daughter to certain standards." This caused Peyton to raise her eyebrows a bit, but she continued to listen without interruption. "My h-husband and I d-don't feel that it's proper for a young girl to be playing with young boys. You understand."

"Sure," Peyton lied. "I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you'll change your mind. It's difficult being new to the neighborhood. And around here, in a small town where everyone has lived here their entire lives, it's not easy making friends. Laura's always welcome in our home."

"She has her own home," a gruff voice stated from behind Peyton. The blond jumped, turning to see a tall, dark haired man in a red flannel and denim jeans walking up the porch steps behind her. In the attention she had been paying to the slightly crazy woman in front of her, Peyton had failed to hear a truck pull into the drive.

"Tom—" The woman began in a tremulous voice, but stopped as soon as the man glared.

"Who are you?" He barked at Peyton, causing her to step back a bit, to the side of the door. She stood firm after that, angered by his rudeness.

"Peyton Scott," she answered with a firm, regal tone. She was a pillar of this town, damn it. These new people obviously didn't realize with whom they were dealing. She didn't have to take this kind of attitude from anyone... besides occasionally Dan and Deb... and every once in a while Royal and May. But besides those four, no one in town dared speak to her in a condescending tone.

"One of those Scott people," he snarled. Maybe they did know with whom they were dealing. "Think you own the whole damn town."

"You must not have been here long," Peyton said icily, "we do."

"I've been here long enough to be tired of dealing with your kind. Now, if you'll just get your pretty little—"

"I'd watch how you finish that sentence," a familiar voice warned from the yard. Peyton turned to see Jake standing there, his cell phone in one hand and the golden retriever's leash in the other. "Come on Peyton." He moved closer to the porch and offered his hand, waiting for the startled blond to snap out of her trance and walk toward him. After Peyton was safely behind him, Jake turned back to the man and glared coldly. "You're new in town, so you may not realize this. But you mess with this woman or one related to her, and you're in a world of trouble."

"Just keep your woman off my property," the man returned with a snarl.

"I'm not his woman," Peyton cried in protest. She was quickly quieted by a slight squeeze of Jake's hand. She grumbled to herself, but compliantly got in the passenger side of her own car while he allowed his ball of golden fluff to shed all over the back of her SUV.

"What was that?" She demanded as soon as they were on the road.

"What were you doing?" Jake demanded. He pulled into his driveway and opened the door, letting the dog out and waiting for Peyton to follow suite. She did, but not without a cold glare. The house was quaint, much smaller than either of the Scott abodes but slightly larger than Karen's little home. While it had originally been simple and very bachelor like, Brooke had spent a lot of time transforming the house into a beautiful home. The flower boxes leading up to the front door were always full and colorful, the porch furniture covered in rich fabrics that complemented the yellow house and blue trimmings.

"Hi Sweetie," Brooke said as she rushed into the room and threw herself in Jake's arms. She pulled back slightly when she noticed her old friend. "Peyton!"

"Hey Brooke."

"What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing," Jake said sarcastically. "Peyton just decided to have an argument with a strange man who was more than likely toting a gun."

"What?"

"Jake's overreacting," Peyton argued, not liking the way this conversation seemed to be moving.

"Peyton, you don't know that guy. I've seen him a few times since he's moved in. And they're definitely not from around here."

"Do you know how snobbish that sounds?"

"But it's true," Jake countered. "He's not the most polite guy I've ever met and he obviously doesn't want you around. What were you doing there? Where's Lucas?"

"Sweetie, give Peyton a minute to breathe. Everyone's fine. No need to get upset." Brooke was using her flirty voice, one that instantly pulled attention away from a grateful Peyton. She was about to excuse herself when the kitchen door slammed open and a streak of blue flew past them and pounded up the stairs. Brooke looked curiously after the blur that was Jenny and pointed up the stairs.

"Was that?"

"That was Jenny," Jake said with a sigh. "I'll go see—"

"Let me go," Peyton offered with a sigh of relief. By the time the night was over, Jake's mind would probably not be focused on telling Lucas about the earlier incident. Not that he would be angry, but he would be overprotective – and that was sometimes worse. "Brooke, can you call and let Lucas know where I am?"

"Sure thing," the brunette said with a relieved smile toward her best friend. She knew she should be doing all of these parenting things, but it just didn't come naturally to her.

* * *

The title of this chapter comes from this quote:

"Independence"... Is middle-class blasphemy. We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth. G.B. Shaw, _Pygmalion_


	8. At Last Evensong

Thanks for reading and for all of the wonderful reviews! It's nice to know what everyone thinks about the story and it gives me ideas for the future. I plan to include more of Nathan and Haley at some point, but it's difficult considering Lucas and Peyton are my definite favorites. Well, here's the next part – hope everyone enjoys it!

* * *

Chapter 8 At last, Evensong

Peyton walked up the stairs and knocked softly on Jenny's door, which she was amused to find newly plastered with band posters. This was most likely a result of Brooke detesting band posters as forms of home decoration. The door clicked open and Peyton was facing with an incredibly angry looking teenager garbed in a Tree Hill High School cheerleading uniform. It was major déjà vu for the older woman.

"Hi," Jenny said shortly. Her expression, much like any sixteen year old, was uninviting but she did step back from the door to allow the older woman entrance; only after looking carefully to make sure no one else had followed.

"Not having the greatest day?"

"You could tell?"

"The whole town could probably tell from the way you slammed that front door."

"Sorry," Jenny said sheepishly.

"It's not my door," Peyton said easily as she sat down on Jenny's desk chair.

"Brooke's probably mad."

"Brooke doesn't usually get mad about stuff like that, does she?" It was true; Brooke had taken enough tantrums in her life to be completely immune to them coming from a different party. Normally, she didn't get angry with Jenny at all; she had never felt it her place to do so. In fact, the first time Jenny gotten into trouble at school, it had been Peyton and Lucas who had convinced Jake and Brooke that there might be a problem and they might want to consider actually treating her like a real kid and grounding her. Peyton knew that those two weeks hurt Jake more than they bothered Jenny.

"I guess not." Jenny flopped down on her bed and busied herself with studying the beaded fringe on a satin maroon pillow. She had no intention of making eye contact with Peyton; that would only mean leaving herself completely unable to lie.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or should I start guessing?"

"Did you ever just have a bad day?" Jenny asked testily.

"Yeah," Peyton answered honestly. "A _lot_ of bad days. And I was a pretty angry teenager. But I don't ever remember being as upset as you were when you came in."

"It was just a really long day and I don't want to talk about it."

"Are you sure?" Jenny nodded, her eyes still cast down as unwanted tears dripped from the corners. "Well, I am sorry you had a bad day," Peyton said sympathetically as she crossed the room and pulled the young girl into a hug. She felt warm tears hit her neck as Jenny hugged her back, sobbing a bit.

"It was a _really_ bad day," she said as she pulled away.

"I can see that. And you're sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"You're really persistent, you know that?"

"I know. It's a quirk. So, you're really, really sure you don't want to talk?" At this point, Peyton was merely teasing her.

"Yes," Jenny answered resolutely with a playful roll of her eyes. "It's okay. I promise. What are you gonna tell Dad?"

"I'll make something up," Peyton said flippantly. Her voice changed back to a serious tone, "as long as you promise to talk to one of us if you need to. We're always here for you—"

"I know," Jenny said with a sniffle. "I promise. Love you."

"Love you too," Peyton said softly. She hugged the sniffling teenager one more time and kissed her on the forehead before leaving the room. Wiping the tears from the corners of her own eyes, Peyton trudged back down the stairs and found Jake and Brooke waiting for her in the kitchen.

"She's fine," Peyton said as nonchalantly as possible. "Bad practice. You remember those, Brooke." If the two had any doubts in what Peyton told them, it didn't show. She hoped she had done the right thing but she had known Jenny her entire life and trusted the girl's judgment. If she didn't want to share the day's travesties with the rest of the world, that was her prerogative as a teenager. By the time Peyton reached her own home and tucked her kids in to bed, she wondered if four days might have passed instead of a mere sixteen hours since she had gotten out of bed that morning.

She walked into her bedroom and found Lucas ready for bed and almost falling asleep with a book in hand. "That interesting?" She asked lightly as she closed their door.

"Huh? Oh," he said once he realized what she was talking about. He set the book down and she saw that it was the _Oedipus Trilogy_ by Sophocles. "It's not the book. I'm exhausted."

"Yeah," she agreed as she removed her top and threw it in the hamper. "I didn't think this day was going to end." She slipped into a silky, lilac colored nightgown and crawled into bed next to her husband. "I think I hate the first day of school," she whispered.

"The good news is that it only happens once a year," he said reassuringly as he wrapped his arms around her. "And there's more good news."

"What's that?"

"Only one hundred and seventy nine days until summer vacation."

"Keeping count already?"

"That's what's great about teaching high school seniors," Lucas said with a chuckle. "They never let you forget." He changed positions a bit and leaned over to kiss his wife for what felt like the first time in days instead of hours. "How was your day?"

"It started out sad, was peaceful for a while, then it got strange, and then stranger from there."

"You want to talk about it?"

"Not really," she said with a yawn. "I'm ready for this day to be over."

"You really want to sleep?" His voice gave away his immediately disappointment.

"I really do," she said with an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

"Can't really blame you," he said as he reached over to turn out his bedside lamp. They were sleeping a mere ten minutes later, left hands intertwined and her head resting on his chest.

* * *

The title of the chapter comes from this quote:

John Heywood (1497-1580)  
Be the **day** never so **long**,  
Evermore at last they ring to evensong


	9. Loving you Anyway

Thanks everyone for the reviews! Tardychick06, I hope your college search is going better... and that your weekend proved to be happier than the week. If it helps, I'm also currently going through the college-search process (only with grad school this time) and I know it's no fun. I hope the search gets easier for you and you find the right school. Best of luck to you!

* * *

Chapter 9 Loving you Anyway

The weekend after school started, Peyton found herself with a free day after Lucas decided to take the kids to some science museum about an hour away. Normally she would have gone along for the day but the week had been long and tiring; she needed a bit of time alone. She was in the middle of working on a sketch of Winifred and Gretchen when she heard the front door open. "Hello?"

"Getting paranoid in your old age?"

"Funny Brooke."

"Hi Friend, how are ya?"

"Blissfully alone for a few hours," Peyton replied as her friend entered the living room and sat down across from her. "What brings you by?"

"I need a reason to visit my one and only best friend?" Peyton answered Brooke by giving her a glower. Peyton loved Brooke, she really did, but their relationship had become a little more strained over the years and primarily couldn't withstand any of Brooke's seduction games. Peyton hadn't usually fallen for them when they were younger, but at that time she could at least tolerate her friend's façade. That ability had ended about five years prior and their friendship had continued only with compliance to certain provisions. One called for complete honesty; no games, no acting, no pretense; straight to the point every time.

"Okay, I need help."

"What with?" Just then, the door slammed again and a girl of about sixteen came stomping into the room, her eyes shaded by dark glasses and her hair, which was highlighted purple, pulled into a messy bun. "Hey Jen."

"Hi Aunt Peyton. Can I use your computer?"

"Sure," Peyton said without batting an eyelash. "You okay?"

"Whatever," Jenny mumbled as she walking down the hall toward the den.

"Why do you need the computer now?" Brooke was obviously appalled at Jenny for one reason or another.

"E-mail," she yelled back. Peyton tried to hide her smirk as she turned back to Brooke but her oldest friend noticed it.

"Don't laugh. I can't deal with her. She hates me."

"She doesn't hate you. She's a teenager. She hates everyone." As if to prove that point, music came on from the den and Peyton could hear the strains of Greenday. If Jenny had learned anything from her, it had been her appreciation for good, and sometimes angry, music.

"What am I supposed to do with her? I never wanted to be the evil stepmother."

"Brooke, she's just not used to sharing her dad."

"It's been five years." Including the years they had dated, it had actually been much longer. Brooke and Jake's relationship before marriage had always been kept away from Jenny because of it's volatile nature; Brooke's volatile nature to be more exact.

"Well, she's a kid. It takes time. What are you fighting about this time?"

"You didn't notice her hair?" Brooke asked incredulously.

"Actually, it's kind of cute. Wouldn't be my first choice—"

"Cute!" Brooke was outraged, pacing the room in front of a bewildered and slightly bemused Peyton. "Fine. I'll give you cute. Next time you see Fred, don't be surprised if she has cute green hair."

"Lucas would kill you."

"She does this to drive me crazy."

"And I'd say it's working," Peyton said, trying to hide a smile behind her hand.

"She quit the squad."

"Maybe it's just not her thing."

"Not her thing? It's been her thing for the past few years. What's different now? And Jake is all worried about her because she's doing these weird things, purple hair excluded. He doesn't know about that yet. And there's no time left over for me," Brooke said in a small, sad voice. "And I just don't know what to do with her."

"There's probably nothing you can do," Peyton said nonchalantly. "She's a teenager and she's going to make your life hell as long as she has a problem with you. What have you been doing?"

"Nothing!" Brooke said immediately in defense. Peyton's look of disbelief caused her to squirm a bit, and then reflect on the possibility that she had been part of the problem. "I guess I nag a bit. And really, would it hurt her to dress like a normal person? Go to a few parties? Socialize. She just sits in her room and does homework and mopes. It's not normal."

"She only just turned sixteen. She has plenty of time to develop a social life."

"_You_ would think that," Brooke said accusingly. Peyton quickly changed the subject, deciding it safest not to disagree with Brooke too much in one day.

"Where's Jake today? What are you two doing?"

"Jake's away for the weekend. And we're supposed to be shopping for a dress, but she doesn't want to."

"A dress?" At this point, Peyton had completely discarded her sketchpad and pencils and was leaning forward, actively participating in the conversation.

"A boy actually asked her to her first homecoming. After that awful break-up with Tommy. Jake and I still don't understand why she dumped him. He was such a nice boy. But anyway, by some miracle, she said yes. But now she doesn't want a dress. She's just going to _find_ something to wear. Ridiculous."

"She's just having a hard time. You've got to give her space."

"Why can't I understand her?"

"You are very different people, Brooke. Listen, why don't you leave her here? I'll bring her home after dinner. You can go shopping or whatever it is you want to do. I'll see what I can do with the purple hair."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you" Brooke said excitedly as she rushed to hug Peyton.

"Don't get too excited. I already told you, I don't completely dislike the hair."

"The hair goes," Brooke insisted emphatically, then broke out into a smile. "Have a good day. See you soon!" Three minutes later, Brooke was gone. Peyton picked up her drawing and realized that the inspiration was gone for the moment. Before she could begin another sketch, she realized that she should probably take advantage of the alone time to talk to Jenny; she wasn't sure when Lucas and the kids would return.

Setting her sketch pad and pencils on the coffee table, she brushed her hands off on her dark blue jeans and walked into the hallway, making sure her black heeled boots clicked as they hit the smooth wooden floor; she wasn't about to ambush the young girl. Jenny looked up from the computer when Peyton walked into the den and turned back long enough to log off. She knew Peyton's expressions pretty well and this one indicated a serious discussion was to be had.

* * *

The chapter title comes from this quote (I'm not sure where it comes from, but it's not mine):

"A friend is someone who knows all about you...  
and loves you anyway."


	10. Waiting for the Answer

Chapter 10 Waiting for the Answer

"Mommy dearest left?" Jenny's comment was meant to be sarcastic, but Peyton could hear the desperation in it. As much as she loved her best friend, she knew that Brooke was never cut out to be a mother, at least not to a teenager. Brooke had been instilled far too much with the importance of the 'me' factor in life. She didn't take much stock in the fact that a mother shouldn't normally have time to put themselves first; at least not until her children were grown.

Brooke and Jake had dated a bit after high school but it hadn't been until after Brooke moved to California and then back to Tree Hill that the relationship became serious. Up until that point, Peyton and Haley had been the major females in Jenny's world. They were sympathetic but strong, intelligent but humble enough to admit when they didn't have all of the answers. Brooke was a completely different type of female. The honesty that had been refreshing in Peyton and usually Haley was completely none-existent in their old friend. Brooke had an obvious façade, one that the teenager her never been able to understand or get around. The ex-cheerleader was an extremely overwhelming and confusing presence for a girl of ten who had previously been the center of her father's universe.

"Jen—"

"See? You can remember not to call my Jenny, why can't she? Because she doesn't listen, that's why." Jenny barely stopped her rant long enough to look at Peyton's unimpressed expression. "Please don't defend her."

"No defense from this peanut gallery," Peyton promised with her hands raised in a sign of innocence. She sat on the sofa, her back against one arm, and waited for Jenny to slump into the seat next to her. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing different from every other day. She's driving me crazy. But she makes dad happy. So what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know," Peyton answered truthfully. "I wish I had all the answers, but no one does." She leaned closer and plucked one of the purple locks from Jenny's shoulder and laughed. "Okay, what's the deal with the purple hair? Has your dad seen it yet? Because I just don't see him as the purple-hair-loving-kind-of-dad."

"He's away this week. Some conference in New York."

"So when were you going to wash it out?"

"Right before he got home."

"It's killing Brooke."

"That's the point," Jenny said with a mischievous smile and a playful roll of her eyes.

"What's this about the homecoming dance?" Another roll of the eyes, this one seriously annoyed. Jenny picked up a purple lock that had worked its way out of the messy bun and started twisting it between two fingers, signaling to Peyton that she was nervous.

"Some stupid kid on the basketball team asked me to go. I thought it might be cool, so I said yes," her eyes cast down and her voice suddenly grew softer, "I shouldn't have."

"Why's that?"

"It turns out that some of the guys on the team were just making a bet on who could get with me first. It's my fault for believing he'd even want to go out with me in the first place. But now I can't go. But I can't tell Brooke that because she'll tell my dad, who'll completely freak."

"And your alternative plan?"

"Don't waste money on the dress. Go to Lynn's house instead of going to the dance and watch movies and gorge ourselves on junk food."

"As much as that does sound like the better night, I think you're selling yourself short. Any guy would be crazy to not want the chance to date you. And maybe this guy wasn't involved in the bet."

"The whole team was," Jenny said shortly, staring intently at her hands.

"Hey," Peyton said almost sharply as her fingertips redirected Jenny's stare so that she was looking her in the eye. "If he was involved, then he doesn't deserve you. And you're certainly not going out with him if he has any plans past a good night kiss. But don't you think you owe yourself the chance to find out what his intentions are? Sometimes people surprise you. You just have to give them the chance."

"Whatever," Jenny barely whispered as she looked away. "He's probably not worth it anyway."

"But how will you know until you try?" Peyton moved into the center of the sofa and pulled her arms around the younger girl.

"Stop trying to make me cry."

"It doesn't seem hard to do today. Are you sure everything else is alright?" Jenny nodded, attempting to dry her tears before looking up from her lap.

"If there's anything else bothering you, you'll let me know, alright?" Again, a silent nod. Peyton studied her carefully and remained silent for a few minutes. She sighed heavily and began to speak, slowly at first, as though suggesting something off hand. "If you do decide, at some point, to go to this homecoming thing, I might have some things of interest. Come here." Without waiting for a reply, Peyton took Jenny's hand and pulled her into the master bedroom where she threw open Lucas's closet and started digging in the back.

"One of Uncle Lucas's suits?" Jenny asked with a giggle as she sat on Peyton's vanity chair.

"No, silly. I don't have enough room in my closet. I store some of the older things in here. But it's really hard to reach them." She disappeared all the way into the closet and reemerged a minute later, triumphantly holding several large, bulging garment bags.

"What's this?" Jenny asked, a laugh evident in her voice.

"So, I went to a _few_ parties when I was your age—" Peyton said in a tone that indicated it was the most innocent thing in the world. She hung the bags from a hook on the back of the door and opened the first one. Enclosed was her wedding dress, still crisp and white, the silk and satin protected by a soft, sheer fabric bag inside the garment bag. "Sorry, not this one." She placed that bag aside and opened the next, pulling out four black dresses and laying them on the bed. From the last two bags she pulled nine more dresses, each one more beautiful than the last.

"They're beautiful," Jenny said breathlessly as she ran her fingers over the soft silk of a green spaghetti-strap cocktail dress.

"Thank you," Peyton said as she kneeled in front of the bed. "I wore that one to my first prom. I went with your dad."

"My dad?"

"Yes," she said with a laugh brought on by Jenny's surprise. She and Jake had always kept their short relationship on the quiet side; Jenny was too young to understand why it hadn't worked out and no one wanted her to even think for a moment that their breakup had anything to do with her presence. It had nothing to do with her or Jake but everything to do with Peyton and Luke's inevitable relationship. "We went as friends."

"And this," she said, pointing to a navy blue satin dress embroidered with tiny navy roses, "I wore to my first dance with Luke." She pointed to two more, one black silk and one a dark red satin; "These I wore to some stupid function or other with Nathan."

"You really dated Uncle Nathan?" This time, Jenny laughed out loud and shook her head. "That would be hilarious. I thought that was just an old joke."

"It's an old joke for a reason," Peyton answered with a look of distaste. "We were not good as a couple."

"I can't imagine him with anyone but Aunt Haley."

"Well, that's because she makes him the man you've always known. That's what you look for in a relationship; someone who makes you want to become a better person."

"Uncle Luke does that for you?"

"Absolutely." Peyton's answer was quick but firm. She stood up and dusted off her jeans. "Now, you know these are here. And I fully expect you to take advantage. I think you have a call to make. But first—" she pointed to the bathroom, "a shower." Jenny rolled her eyes and looked like she was going to protest but Peyton shook her head and continued pointing.

"You are a beautiful girl. You don't need purple hair. Wash it out, please."

"You just want me to do it because Brooke doesn't like it."

"No. Because I don't like it. Because it's not you. Anytime you do something to spite someone else, it's probably not something you should be doing.'

"Just so you know, you sound like a really confused fortune cookie." Jenny stuck her tongue out at Peyton and slipped into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

"Just so you know, that hair better be brown when you come out!" Peyton shook her head and walked back into the living room to wait. About an hour later, Jenny finally emerged from Peyton's bedroom, her hair dry, curled, and unmistakably chestnut brown.

"Beautiful," Peyton said with a smile as Jenny said down across from her. The teenager simply rolled her eyes but seemed pleased with the compliment. Peyton was about to ask Jenny what she wanted to do for the rest of the day when the phone rang and she had to jump up and get it. Since they only had one cordless phone in the house, they often missed calls as a result of not getting to the phone in time.

"Hey Sweetie."

"I'm canceling caller ID," Lucas said in a serious tone.

"Oh, it's you Luke," Peyton said with a giggle, pretending to be surprised. "Oops."

"Funny, very funny. How's it going?"

"Weirder than I expected. How's the museum?"

"What we got to see of it was pretty cool. I think the boys liked it. We'll have to come back sometime, maybe bring Jared."

"Why didn't you get to see more?" She could hear in his voice that there was something he was trying to keep from her. Something that he thought might upset her. "What's going on, Luke?"

"We're just heading home early. I wanted to let you know."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"No," he said unconvincingly. "We're just all a little tired."

"Luke, don't lie to me. What happened?"

"Fred doesn't feel well. She's fine though, I promise. Don't worry. We'll be home soon." Peyton hung up the telephone and Jenny could see that something was bothering her.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yep. That was Luke. They're on their way home.'

"I should go. I'll call Brooke."

"No, it's alright—"

"No, I have stuff to do at home. Thanks for all your help," Jenny said as she leaned down to hug Peyton. "It means a lot. Love you."

"Love you too. And you know I'm always here—'

"Yeah," Jenny said with a genuine smile. "I know." Five minutes later Jenny and Brooke were both gone, leaving Peyton alone to wait for her family.

* * *

The chapter title comes from this quote (once again, I can't find the author, but I know the quote doesn't originally belong to me):

"Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait for the answer."


	11. One Day at a Time

Thanks so much for the reviews! Here's the next part, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 11 One Day at a Time

It took them at least a half an hour more to get home than she thought it would, so Peyton was already a bit on edge when Lucas carried a sleeping Winifred into the house. She rushed over to them, ignoring Ashton while he tried to tell her about the museum. Ryan walked into the house with Gretchen holding his hand but he soon left her in the middle of the hallway and retreated to his room without a word to anyone.

"What in the hell happened?"

"She passed out at the museum," Lucas said as he walked toward the stairs, carefully maneuvering between furniture. "Let's talk about this later."

"Lucas—" Her voice was bordering on frantic and she looked ready to cry.

"Peyton," he said in an even, firm, and soft tone, "you need to calm down or you're going to scare the kids." She nodded reluctantly and turned around to see Ashton and Gretchen still standing in the hallway, a bit confused by the scene before them.

"Hey guys," she said in a tone that was as cheerful as she could muster. "Did you have fun with your dad?"

"The museum was cool," Ashton said shortly. He didn't seem to want to discuss it any longer; he was perceptive enough to know that his parents had heavier things on their minds. "Can I go play PlayStation?" Peyton nodded and the little boy was off like a rocket, running down to the basement game room where his videogames were kept. She picked up the confused baby and tried to think of something happy to say to her. Instead, she took Gretchen into Ryan's room and ordered him to watch his sister for a little while. It seemed that was the only way she could get him to comply anymore; asking no longer worked with the temperamental youth. Lucas was coming out of Winifred's room when Peyton reached the door and he caught her wrist, stopping her from entering.

"She's okay, she's sleeping. Come on." Peyton agreed and after one more look at her daughter's bedroom door followed him to their own bedroom. Lucas sat on the bed and ran his hands agitatedly through his hair, waiting while Peyton closed the door and sat down across from him on the bed. "I have never been so scared in my life."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. She fainted. And then, when she woke up a minute or so later, she couldn't walk because her leg muscles were in spasms."

"That's it," she said in a firm tone, "we're going to the hospital."

"She's okay right now. Why don't we call and make a doctor's appointment?"

"With the same doctors who keep telling us that she's fine and we're imagining this?"

"What about a new doctor?"

"You'll have to see who else is on the insurance. I don't know if there is another GP in Tree Hill on your plan."

"I'll call Haley. She'll know."

"They use Nathan's insurance."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Then, I'll have to pull out that paperwork and figure it out," he said with a resolute sigh. "I won't take long." He kissed her forehead and moved from the room, only to look back and realize she hadn't left the spot or taken her eyes from the place where he had been standing. "Peyton, it's going to be okay."

"I know," she said softly. "I was—um, actually—I was just trying to decide what to make for dinner. Silly, I know."

"It's not silly. Try to stay calm, okay?" She nodded and watched him leave the room, leaving her to feel incredibly alone and vulnerable. While Lucas was in the den sorting through insurance forms and attempting to find a list of providers, Haley was a few blocks away arguing with Nathan's insurance holders over the telephone.

Nathan and Jared, who had been at the park playing basketball, arrived home to find her at the kitchen table with dozens of papers splayed in front of her. Jared looked curiously at his father, wondering what was going on to cause his usually calm mother to behave like a lunatic. In her determination to inform the person on the other end of the phone that he was truly the most idiotic scum of the earth, Haley failed to hear her husband and son return. She jumped out of the chair when she felt Nathan's hand on her shoulder. Nathan motioned to his son that he should go in the other room; it was best to avoid Haley in her more neurotic moods. Jared happily escaped to his room to play with his newest video game while Nathan continued to listen to his wife's troubling conversation.

"No," Haley said to the man on the phone. "No, it doesn't work that way. You can't tell me what I can and cannot do. If I want to have this damn baby in the middle of a New York subway, you couldn't stop me." She paused, listening to him and then laughing sarcastically. "Well, yes, I suppose you _could_ still charge me. This is ridiculous! Do you know that you're causing anxiety to a woman who is eight months pregnant?" With that, Nathan took the phone from her hand and hung it up; ignoring the look of indignation and fury that suddenly appeared in her eyes.

"Nathan! It took me an hour to get to that manger. I have to call back now and wait for twenty minutes before even talking to a real person—" she tried to snatch the cordless from his hand but he held it out of reach and she was too tired to try and fight him.

"What's going on? What are you doing talking to the insurance company?" He had seen the papers spread in front of her and realized immediately whom she was speaking with.

"They just dropped my doctor from the coverage. There was a message on the machine, telling me I have to find a new doctor. I am not finding a new doctor four weeks before I give birth! It's ridiculous!"

"Hey, hey. Calm down. We'll fix it."

"Nathan, there are some things you just can't wish away."

"We'll pay out of pocket—"

"Do you know how much that costs?" Haley asked with a sarcastic scoff. Nathan shook his head.

"Too much if we also want to send the kid to college one day." She handed him a receipt she had gotten at her last appointment and Nathan winced. If that were the cost of one appointment, the hospital delivery would be five times the amount.

"Don't worry about it, we'll find a way," he said soothingly, drawing her out of the chair and into his arms.

* * *

The title of this chapter comes from the following quote:

I've developed a new philosophy... I only dread one day at a time. Charlie Brown (Charles Schulz)


	12. Beloved Sleep

Thank you to everyone who had been reviewing! Please continue letting me know what you think. I do take suggestions into consideration. For those who asked, I do plan on including Haley and Nathan more at some point and there will be a lot more to do with Brooke and Jenny. Here's the next chapter, hope you all enjoy!

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Chapter 12 Beloved Sleep

Lucas entered his bedroom and saw that Peyton was already under the covers, sketching away on a notepad balanced on her knees. He quickly recognized it as one of his bankbooks. Opening one of their closets, he fished through a bottom shelf and pulled out an empty sketchpad, which he tossed gently on the bed next to her before he continued to get himself ready for bed.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly after she made the connection. "It didn't look that important."

"Oh, it's not all that important," he said with an amused smile, "I'll just explain to the IRS that I can't do my taxes because my wife turned my records into a work of art."

"Think they'd buy it?" Peyton asked playfully.

"I think I'd take my chances. It's either that or get rid of you," he said jokingly. "And I've grown quite accustomed to having you around."

"Quite accustomed? What were you and Ashton reading?"

"Beverly Cleary. Trust me, no high English there." Lucas, now clothed in a t-shirt and boxers, flopped down on the bed and gently removed the bankbook from Peyton. "I think we'll make a trade." She picked up the sketchbook but didn't open it; instead she turned her focus to her husband.

"Did you find anything in the insurance papers?"

"I found a few numbers. But it's Saturday, so we'll have to wait until Monday to make any calls. Don't worry so much. Fred's doing fine."

"If she's worse tomorrow, we're going to the hospital."

"It's a deal." Luckily for all of them, Winifred seemed perfectly fine the next day. In fact, she looked better than she had all summer. Peyton kept a close eye on her though and seriously considered staying close to home all day. The only problem occurring was Sunday dinner; traditionally a family dinner with Dan and Deb. Although it was one of Peyton's least favorite things, she dealt with it because it was easier than arguing. And it gave her the chance to see Nathan and Haley on a regular basis. They were all so busy that entire weeks flew by without more than a phone call or two between the two families.

They returned from dinner later than usual and kids were told to get ready for bed right away. Later that night, when the clock was flirting with the midnight hour, Peyton heard a hesitant knock at their bedroom door.

"Come in," she said softly, swinging her legs to the side of the bed and abandoning the sketchpad she had been working with. Standing up, she was halfway across the room when the doorknob turned slowly and the door creaked open, revealing an extremely upset looking Ashton. He was dressed in his blue pajamas covered in basketballs and he had his cute little blue robe pulled on over top. "Hey Ash. What's wrong?" The little boy looked down at the floor, trying his best to seem intently interested in the soft blue carpeting. "Hey, what's going on?" Peyton stooped in front of him, trying to make eye contact but failing; that was apparently not going to happen. She was directing him back toward the bed when Lucas came out of the bathroom in his pajamas.

"Hey Ash, why aren't you sleeping, buddy?" Peyton shook her head, signaling to Lucas that she knew nothing. The three of them sat on the bed, huddled under the warmth of the covers, before anyone continued the less-than-successful conversation.

"Did something happen? You know you can tell us." They were both silent for a few minutes after they realized that Ashton was merely building up the confidence to speak. Eventually, he started to speak in a shaky voice.

"Mrs. Leer got mad at me Friday." Peyton was about to point out that was three days prior, but decided to allow him to continue uninterrupted. "She said I wasn't allowed read more of the books."

"What books?" Lucas asked carefully. Ashton sniffled and Peyton reached over to get him a tissue, with which he blew his nose before continuing.

"History and Reading and that stupid French book. She said we're only 'apposed to read in chapter 3. She was mad 'cause I was reading chapter 6."

"We'll talk to her. You shouldn't worry about it, as long as you pay attention to what she's doing. Were you paying attention?" Lucas knew the answer from Ashton's guilty expression before he spoke.

"I already knew the stuff she was talking about," Ashton answered innocently.

"Well, it's not something to get all worked up over," Peyton tried to assure him gently.

"But she sent a note home," Ashton said despondently, "she said you have to sign it."

"Can we see it first?" Peyton asked with a smile. Apparently, though, Ashton didn't think this was any kind of laughing matter. He put his hand into the pocket of his robe and fished around for a while before coming up with a crumpled envelope that he handed to Peyton.

"Why didn't you give this to us Friday?"

"Kaylee said I'd be in trouble. I didn't want you to be mad."

"We're not going to be angry if you tell the truth. You know that. Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise." Ashton nodded and waited with an expression of misery as Peyton carefully glanced over the note. She handed it to Lucas and raised her eyebrows, signaling that it was an interesting piece of news. While he read over it, Peyton attempted to assure Ashton that he wasn't in any trouble but hugging him and telling him how proud she was didn't seem to be cutting it. Eventually Ashton accepted that he wasn't in any sort of trouble, but he still seemed to have many things on his young mind as Lucas walked him back to his own room. When he returned to their bedroom, Peyton was still staring at the letter from the little boy's teacher.

"What do you think?"

"It think it's insane," Peyton whispered.

"He's obviously bored in school. That note from Mrs. Leer said that he's reading at a fifth grade level. And his math is advanced at least an extra two grades."

"But at least he's with kids his own age. Can you imagine if they skip him to the fourth grade? And think about how Ryan's going to feel about it."

"We can't hold Ash back because it's going to hurt Ryan's feelings. He'll get over it. They're brothers."

"Yeah, you and Nathan were always brothers. And you almost killed one another when you met up in school."

"It was different. We weren't raised together."

"Do you think Ashton is ready for something like this?"

"Academically, yeah. He's a smart kid. I'd hate for him to miss an opportunity like this if it's something that would benefit him in the long run."

"He's just a baby," Peyton argued. "What if it screws him up for the rest of his life?"

"Those are chances we take every day," Lucas replied with a smirk. "Why don't we talk to the principle first, and find out more before we worry."

"I like how you add that in... _before_ we worry," she muttered sarcastically. "Can we just go to sleep already? This day feels like it's never going to end."

"Sleep it is," Lucas said playfully as he threw her sketchpad across the room and gently tackled her, causing her to giggle.

"Shush," she said softly. "Aston's probably not sleeping."

"The door's locked," Lucas said mischievously.

"Have I told you today that I love you?"

"I don't mind hearing it twice," he answered before dropping fleeting kisses along her throat.

"I love you."

"And I love you." After days of worrying about nothing but their children, Lucas and Peyton Scott spent a few hours alone together, remembering once more how lucky they were to have one another. Then, after a long and trying day, sleep overtook the overworked couple.

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The title for this chapter comes from this quote:

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)   
Oh sleep! it is a gentle thing,   
Beloved from pole to pole.   
The Ancient Mariner. Part v.


	13. Getting Better

Thanks so much for the reviews so far! Please continue and let me know what you think of the story. Sorry the update took so long—it's been busy with school and the holiday. I've been thinking about possibly starting two other stories – one that focuses on how Peyton and Lucas ended up married and one that explains what happened to ruin Peyton and Brooke's relationship. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

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Chapter 13 – Getting Better

While the Scott family was having quite the trying night, the Jagielski residence was even a little crazier. Brooke sat on the living room sofa and listened uncomfortably as father and daughter argued in one of the rooms above her. The week after Monday obviously had not improved for Jenny; every day her return home had been marked with slamming doors and sullen silences. Despite her talks with Peyton, Jenny was still terribly upset about something. The car ride home from Peyton's house had been site of yet another disagreement between Brooke and the young girl. Arguing over what to have for dinner normally wouldn't have gotten serious but Jenny was still upset over being forced to relinquish her rebellious hair color and Brooke was simply tired of submitting to the tantrums of a teenager. The argument may not have lasted past dinner had Jake not been home, having returned early from his trip.

Brooke hugged a throw pillow and listened miserably as Jake continued to yell at Jenny for the way he had heard her speaking to Brooke. Granted, it hadn't been the most respectful tone of voice, but Brooke also wasn't the perfect guardian. She was wise enough to the teenage psyche to realize that Jake yelling at Jenny was just another roadblock in their ever-failing relationship. Her biggest fear was that Jenny would end up hating her and that hatred would extend to Jake. In all the time they had dated and then been married, Brooke had always done whatever was needed to not come between the father-daughter relationship; especially not when it meant so much to all of them.

Not able to listen to them argue anymore, Brooke scribbled a quick note to Jake and grabbed her coat and car keys. If she hadn't already known what a rough day Peyton had gone through, she may have headed there. As it was, she found herself driving along, not sure what she was doing or where she was going. Somehow, her car ended up in the parking lot of Lula's Lounge, a bar on the far side of town. Her hands trembled as she tapped them on the steering wheel, silently talking herself out of ruining her life; again. She knew she wasn't going in… right? Cutting the engine and pocketing the keys, she sat back in the driver's seat, staring at the sign in front of the somewhat-rundown bar.

The heels of her expensive boots hit the pavement with a deafening click and her hands remained on the polished red metal of the car door as she gently pushed it closed. As the latch caught and the lock slid into position, the streetlight behind her reflected off her left hand, illuminating the simple platinum band and diamond solitaire that glittered on manicured ring finger; this was not worth what she had to lose. She drew in a sharp breath and made it back into the car before the tears started to flow.

Arriving home to a dark house, she assumed Jake had already gone to bed and decided to go into the kitchen for a cup of cocoa; she wasn't falling asleep anytime soon. Jake's presence when she switched on the light caused her to jump. She was busy trying to catch her breath so she missed his skeptical glances at first.

"I wasn't drinking," Brooke said calmly, turning away from him and pretending to busy herself looking for a particular mug.

"I believe you." They were both silent for a few minute as she filled the mug with water and placed it in the microwave.

"Am I ever going to be able to leave the house without making excuses?"

"I wasn't asking for one."

"But you expected one."

"I'm not going to fight with you tonight. Stop trying to goad me into it."

"You shouldn't yell at Jenny because of me."

"She shouldn't talk to you like that—"

"We were arguing. It happens. But when you intervene, it makes me the bad guy all over again. And I can't live in a house where someone so blatantly hates me."

"Jenny doesn't hate you."

"Not yet. And I don't want it to get to that point. I can't live with that."

"She'll be over it by morning. I'm going to bed. You coming?"

"In a little bit," Brooke answered with a tiny smile over the rim of her mug. She watched from the dimmed kitchen as Jake walked up the stairs toward their bedroom. He had been her savior and closest friend for years; when has that stopped being completely fulfilled. More often in the recent days, she had found herself feeling incomplete; something was apparently missing.

"I just got off the phone with Peyton," Haley said as she sat down on her dark blue comforter. She was already clad in purple plaid pajama pants and a lighter purple maternity tank top, ready for bed whenever the day slowed down enough to allow it. Nathan was sitting at his desk across the room, reading over a piece of paper.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Something weird is going on with them."

"You're probably just imagining it," he said in a voice that clearly indicated that his attention was elsewhere.

"Hope so," she muttered. "What are you working on?"

"Looking over these insurance papers. There has to be something about changing providers—"

"Is this going to work out?"

"Of course," he assured her quickly.

"Nathan—"

"Hales, it'll work out. We might have to take out a loan, but we'll find a way."

"We can't afford another loan, Nathan."

"I could ask my parents—"

"Why not just sell them our first born?" She asked with a voice on the brink of hysteria. Nathan shook his head, his expression revealing that he also realized that asking his parents was a bad idea.

"We'll figure it out," he answered calmly. "I promise." She sighed but nodded with a brave smile. He continued with his pretended nonchalance until she was sleeping soundly. It was only then when he tiptoed into the living room and placed a hushed call on his cell phone. It didn't matter how much debt they were in; he wasn't going to allow Haley to have her baby with any doctor she wasn't comfortable with. He could live with swallowing his pride if it meant helping his loyal and loving wife.

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The title of this chapter comes from a quote belonging to Dr. Seuss:

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."


	14. Family: the Rock that Steadies

Here's the next part -- hope everyone enjoys reading it :-)

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Chapter 14 – Family: the Rock that Steadies

Tuesday morning, Peyton watched as Lucas left with three of her children. The boys were on their way to school, Gretchen on her way to spend the day with her grandma. Karen was always more than willing to watch her grandkids. Lucas had wanted to accompany Peyton and Fred to the doctor's appointment, but she didn't want him to miss any more work than was absolutely necessary. Despite the fact that she brought it a lot of money with her artwork, Lucas was still the steady income that they relied on everyday. She didn't rouse her daughter until it was almost time to leave, deciding to allow Fred sleep whenever possible. The young girl had, after first hearing about the doctor's appointment, put up a huge fuss with both her parents, attempting without success to convince her parents that she was perfectly fine. The attempt to convince her parents she wasn't sick didn't go over well since the determined words were accompanied by a fever and visible exhaustion.

They spoke with the doctor for a few minutes and both explained a bit about what had been going on. Peyton told him about being dismissed by the other doctors and Fred told him what had happened at the children's museum the previous weekend. After a quick examination, he made the first amiable suggestion that Peyton had heard all summer; he wanted them to go immediately to the hospital for further tests. Winifred immediately panicked, begging her mom not to listen to him; he wasn't their normal doctor anyway. Peyton sympathized with her daughter's fear but she was more afraid to find out what would happen if they remained inactive.

Peyton stood in the hospital waiting room and listened patiently while the phone rang; silently praying that someone would answer. She was attempting to call Haley to make sure someone would take her other kids after school. She knew she should have called before, but she had still been in shock and her only thought had been to find Lucas. Eight rings later, she hung up and redialed, this time trying Haley's cell phone. Realizing that she apparently wasn't going to be able to contact her sister in law, Peyton sat down to wait for her husband.

Lucas's heart sank at the sight of Peyton in the hospital waiting room; the memories of such a scene were too fresh and painful. He still remembered that call clearly; it had come during his senior English class and he had excused himself to answer his cell phone. It was something he would have laid into a student about but only Peyton called his cell during the day and only in emergency situations.

_After a strange nurse explained that something had happened, he had dismissed his class and jumped into his SUV. He still wasn't certain how he had made it to the hospital in one piece. Gretchen's wailing was audible as soon as he entered the hospital and he arrived in the main waiting room to find the 11-month-old baby trying to squirm out of her carrier that sat on the floor next to Peyton. Five-year-old Ashton, completely unaware of any problem, was_ _crawling along the line of hard plastic waiting room chairs. Peyton sat motionlessly, her eyes fixed on a mute point in front of her; she was hugging her jean-clad legs to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. _

_Lucas had unfortunately seen that expression before and he knew that he wasn't going to be able to help her until he found out what had happened and found someone to watch the kids. He picked up Gretchen and kissed her forehead when she immediately stopped crying. The now-calm baby in arm, he made his way to the nurses station. _

_"Hi," he said uncomfortably to the young redheaded nurse. "I'm—"_

_"You must be Mr. Scott," another woman said as she rounded the corner and spotted him with Gretchen in his arms. She was dressed in a suit, which led him to believe that she was hospital administration as opposed to staff._

_"Lucas," he said with a nod. "What's going on? What happened to Peyton?"_

_"Mr. Scott, you may want to sit down—"_

_"What I want," he stated calmly, "is to know what is wrong with my wife." The woman sighed and relented._

_"Mrs. Scott was called in this morning. She was on file as the contact for Lawrence Sawyer."_

_"He's her father. Is he alright?"_

_"I'm sorry Mr. Scott. He passed away about an hour ago. We attempted—" She prattled on about what had happened but Lucas had tuned her out in favor of keeping himself calm. _

_"A phone? Do you have a phone I could borrow?" His sentence was a bit garbled in the confusion and by the deep breaths he was forcing himself to take. He wasn't sure what to do but he knew the one person who would; she always did. The administrator looked a bit miffed at_ _being interrupted but the nurse handed him a phone with a sympathetic smile. He dialed blindly and waited four rings. _

_"Hello. Karen's café. May I help you?"_

_"Mom?"_

_"Hey Luke," she said with a happy laugh. "How are you? Hey, shouldn't you be in class? You're a little old to skip—"_

_"Mom—" his uncertain tone cut her off mid sentence. _

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Could you just come down here?"_

_"Where's here Lucas? What's wrong?"_

_"We're at the hospital. We're okay, but I need you to pick up the kids."_

_"I'll be right there." Lucas thanked her and hung up the phone, handing it back wordlessly to the nurse and then walking back to the waiting room. He sat Gretchen back in her carrier and then sat down next to Peyton. Taking her hand between two of his, he realized that they were ice cold. _

_"Peyton, look at me." She made no move to comply. After the events of that day, it had taken weeks for her to work her way back to a shadow of her former self. Even then, she never had quite the same glint in her eye or the exact ring in her laugh._

Looking at her, sitting in that waiting room once more, Lucas realized that they had changed so much in the two years since her father's death. It had caused them to grow up quickly. His passing had forced them to realize what they meant to each other and what would happen if either one of them were left alone. They had four relatively small children to think about. She looked up as he approached and quickly jumped up to greet him.

"The kids—"

"With Hales," he assured her as his arms circled her waist protectively. She leaned against his chest, trying to forget where they were for a moment. "It's going to be okay," he whispered consolingly. She shook her head, not wanting to hear false promises at the moment.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know," Peyton said in a tearful voice. "They wouldn't let me go in with her. She was so scared, Luke. I hate this." She erupted in sobs, an emotional release very unlike her, and Lucas answered by pulling her closer.

They were waiting together for almost thirty minutes when Nathan arrived, his hair still wet from a quick shower in the locker room. He played for a nearby city's professional basketball team and a call from Haley had probably interrupted that day's practice.

"Hey," Lucas said as lightly as possible over Peyton's blond curls. She was snuggled against his chest, holding on for dear life. Nathan nodded and sat next to them, rubbing Peyton's back reassuringly.

"What's going on?"

"Just waiting for news," Lucas answered. "What are you doing here?"

"Haley called and said that Karen was helping her out with the kids. So I thought I'd stop and see how you guys were doing." He could see from the current position of his former girlfriend that they were not doing particularly well. Not that he could blame them. He still remembered what a happy surprise Winifred had been; from the very beginning she had been the center of Peyton and Lucas's joy. Although they had only been freshmen in college, the two had never considered Winifred's arrival as anything short of a welcome and blessed event. Peyton had taken a break from classes after the spring semester and moved back home to Tree Hill where she stayed at home with her dad until the baby was born. After Winifred's eventful and somewhat frightening birth, Lucas transferred to a university closer to home and commuted everyday, making sure to spend as much time as possible with his new family.

When Nathan and Haley had first laid eyes upon the blossoming Scott family that Thanksgiving, they were both shocked at the quick transition. Motherhood fit Peyton better than anything else they could have imagined; she seemed to know just how to calm the baby's cries without coddling her. The lack of a mother during her childhood caused her to strive that much harder to be a good mother. Lucas was overjoyed with his new role as father, but even more so as husband; he lived and breathed for Peyton from the very beginning of their relationship. Looking now at the seemingly fragile blond curled up between them, Nathan thought that Lucas just might have to do the breathing for the both of them. A light breeze would break Peyton at that moment.

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The chapter title comes from this quote:

"The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works is the family." Lee Iacocca


	15. Take a Sad Song and Make it Better

Thanks for the reviews!! I'm glad that everyone liked the flashback. I'll have to keep that in mind and incorporate them when they're appropriate. Here's the next installment, hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 15 – Take a Sad Song and Make it Better

Before the three could worry much more, a doctor entered the waiting room and asked for the family of Winifred Scott. Lucas and Peyton both jumped up quickly; startled that someone had finally arrived. The seemingly young doctor crossed the room to them and introduced himself as Dr. Ryan Triol. He promised them that their daughter was fine for the moment but he wanted to ask a few questions.

"What symptoms of Winifred's have you noticed the longest?"

"The fatigue," Peyton said without hesitating. The fact that her baby girl had been constantly exhausted for months had not escaped her. "What's wrong?"

"We're not certain yet, Mrs. Scott. I'd like to run a few more tests, to rule out the different possibilities."

"What kind of tests?" Peyton asked immediately.

"What possibilities?" Lucas asked at the same time, not liking the idea that there were several different things that might be wrong with his daughter.

"Nothing is clear at the moment. Winifred's symptoms are extremely varied. There are several possible scenarios, and we want to rule those out."

"Such as?" Nathan could see that his brother and sister-in-law were about to lose their tempers; he didn't wish that on the poor doctor.

"It could be something as simple as a bad case of the flu, mononucleosis, a common virus or something more serious. I'd like to test Winifred's blood and spinal fluid. It's the easiest way to rule out immunodeficiency, leukemia, and meningitis."

"Oh God," Peyton whispered, her words caught heavily in the rising sobs.

"Can we see her first?"

"You can be in the room. The nurses can draw the blood and perform the spinal tap in Winifred's room. The results can be rushed. We should have them sometime tomorrow." Lucas nodded, absently stroking Peyton's hair as he forced himself to ignore the fact that she was trembling. "You can go ahead in, I'll order the tests. A nurse should be in shortly. Room 351." Lucas thanked him and watched as the doctor walked back out of the waiting room and toward a nurse's station.

Standing up, Lucas pulled Peyton with him and held her so that they were facing one another. "Look at me." He waiting a moment and then tilted her chin so that she had no choice but to meet his blue eyes. "You need to pull yourself together. Everything's going to be fine. If Fred sees you like this, she'll be worried. We can't deal with that right now." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer to him. "Everything's going to be fine."

"I should clean up before we go in," Peyton replied shakily as she pulled away and attempted to wipe away her tears. She didn't wait for a reply before turning on her heel and heading for the nearest ladies room. Nathan and Lucas stood outside the door, both brothers with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets. Peyton stepped out of the ladies room looking fresh and completely normal; she had picked up a fair share of makeup tips from Brooke over the years. "Let's go." She walked resolutely down the hallway, the Scott brothers working hard to match her smaller but quicker strides. Peyton knocked lightly on the open door and peaked inside to see Fred lying listlessly among the dark pink sheets. "Hey baby," Peyton said softly as she entered the room.

"Mama," Winifred said happily as a bit of her spirit prevailed over the exhaustion and caused her hazel eyes to sparkle. Peyton sat beside her on the bed and hugged her close, attempting not to lose her false but convincing smile.

"How're you feeling' bug?"

"Daddy," Winifred answered in the best-annoyed tone she could conjure. She had told him time and again that she was too old for that nickname.

"Sorry," Lucas replied as he raised his hands in surrender. "Habit."

"Uncle Nathan?" Winifred was surprised to see him standing behind her father in the doorway.

"I'm here, kid-o. Just making sure our favorite babysitter is okay. I mean, we have hockey tickets next Saturday. Your Aunt Haley wouldn't be too thrilled to miss it." Peyton and Lucas both smiled, knowing that Haley would rather do just about anything before going to a hockey game. But it gave the slightly younger Scott couple a chance to spend time together.

"I'll be there."

"I'm holding you to that," Nathan said as he pointed at Winifred with a smile. "I'll see you soon." With that, he ducked out of the room and went back to the waiting room; Peyton and Luke could handle this on their own. After Nathan left, they were faced with the realization that they had to tell their little girl something; she had no idea what was going on.

"Can we go home?"

"Soon, baby," Peyton, whispered as she put her arm around the little girl.

"We just have to wait and see what the doctor says. They're going to make sure you're in perfect condition before you leave. They don't want to chance getting sued or anything," Lucas said playfully. Before they had a chance to converse farther, two nurses entered with the doctor.

"Hello Winifred. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I think we can just go home now."

"Soon. First, we just want to make sure you're all right. We're going to run a few tests to find out what's wrong so that we can help you feel better." Winifred raised her eyebrows at her mother, signaling her disbelief that this man was addressing her as he would a five year old. Peyton shook her head, letting Winifred know that she needed to behave and keep her teenage opinions to herself. "We need to take a bit of spinal fluid. To do that, we use a local anesthetic. You might feel a pinch, but the procedure shouldn't cause any pain—"

"They can't stick a needle in my back," Winifred protested immediately, looking to Peyton and Lucas for support. Peyton looked at Lucas with a questioning glance; she wasn't sure what they should do.

"Calm down, bug. It's important to let the doctor do his job." With those words, Winifred realized that she had lost all control and it caused the floodgates to open. Large alligator tears flowed from her hazel eyes, which were closed tightly against the mutinous room. Peyton rubbed her back and tried to calm her, but Lucas shook his head and walked over to her side, pulling her away from the crying child. He knelt on the floor on the opposite side of the hospital bed and turned Winifred toward him; so that she was on her side in the position the nurse needed her to be. He pushed a blond ringlet from her tear-stained cheek and felt the bed shift as Peyton stooped next to him.

"It'll be over in a minute," Lucas assured her as he took one of her hands and Peyton took the other. One of the nurses opened Fred's gown and swept cold antiseptic over the spot where the Novocain would be injected, causing the girl to shutter in surprise.

"Sweetie, you can't move once the needle is in, alright. Stay very still. Don't pay attention to the needle. Just watch your mom and dad over there." Fred opened her eyes again and saw Lucas and Peyton both staring at her, each squeezing one of her hands.

"Mom, I need that hand. Trying to cripple the competition?"

"You wish," Peyton answered with a wink, trying her best to lighten the mood.

"On the bright side, I think this officially excuses you from your grandmother and grandfather's Sunday dinner." Lucas smiled as Winifred's eyes lit up at the thought of not having to sit through an evening at Deb and Dan's house.

"Always a silver lining," Peyton agreed with a laugh. Just then, Winifred grimaced and Lucas could see that the nurse had injected the anesthetic.

"That'll take a few minutes to have any effect. I'll be back in a few minutes." Peyton and Lucas both nodded and watched as the nurses left them alone.

"I bet you'll be home by tomorrow," Lucas said optimistically.

"I hope so."

"You're a Scott," Peyton said with a warm smile. "I learned a long time ago never to bet against a Scott. They don't stay down long."

"You're a Scott too, mom."

"In every way that matters," Lucas agreed as he leaned over to kiss Peyton lightly on the lips.

"Eww! Gross! Hello! I can't move here! Can't you wait?" Lucas laughed, but reluctantly pulled away and turned again to face his daughter.

"Looks like you're in for a whole lot of movie watching."

"Princess Diaries just came out on video," Peyton supplied helpfully. "Have you seen it yet?" Winifred shook her head.

"I want to see that new fairy tale one. The Prince and Me."

"That can be arranged," Lucas answered.

"Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream goes best with movies."

"That's probably a good idea," he agreed again.

"I've always wanted a horse," she said wistfully.

"Good strategy. Bad idea," Peyton interrupted before Lucas could answer.

"I had to try," Winifred answered playfully.

"No living things larger than three hundred pounds in our house, bug."

"What about a dog?"

"We'll talk about it later," Peyton consented with an amused smile.

"Are we ready?" The nurse was back with a large syringe with a thick needle that she kept hidden behind the immobile young girl. Peyton saw it though, and all the color drained from her already pale face. Two seemingly endless minutes later, the painful process was over and the three members of the Scott family began to breathe again.

"He lied, that hurt," Winifred said between sniffles as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, bug," Lucas said as he pulled out his handkerchief and wiped her tears. Peyton kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair.

"You did good, baby girl. It's over." The blood sample was far less traumatic, but Winifred was none too thrilled that she had to lie on her stomach for three hours following the first procedure.

"I can't do anything like this. Can't even watch TV."

"Then sleep," Peyton said gently, trying to block out the nurse who was walking quickly around the room, checking a machine here and a tube there.

"I want to go home."

"Fred—we will. We just have to be patient." Despite her words, Peyton herself was feeling particularly impatient. She wasn't sure if it was because of their location in a hospital or the fact that she hadn't been able to go outside all day. It very well may have been a mixture of both that was causing the young mother to feel as anxious as her daughter appeared.

* * *

The title comes from the Lyrics of "Hey Jude," a Beatles song. 

"Hey Jude don't make it bad,  
Take a sad song and make it better,  
Remember, to let her into your heart,  
Then you can start to make it better."


	16. Family is Best

So sorry for the long delay! Between finals, extra hours at work and the holidays I just haven't been able to write as much as I normally like to. This chapter is a little longer than usual – my pitiful attempt at trying to make up for keeping everyone waiting so long for the next chapter. Thanks everyone for reviewing – it helps so much in inspiring me to continue the story. Hope you enjoy this installment:

* * *

Chapter 16 – Family is Best

Before they could argue further into the issue of going home, Lucas appeared in the doorway with Peyton's bag over one shoulder and a colorful bouquet of daisies in the other hand.

"Two of my favorite girls," he said with a happy grin.

"Hi daddy," Winifred said as she caught sight of him. He leaned down to kiss her forehead. He showed her the flowers and she smiled. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

"They're not from me, unfortunately. Jake was the kind-hearted sap. But this might pique your interest." He set the flowers on the windowsill and pulled a wrapped package from Peyton's bag. Seeing that she wasn't in a position to unwrap it herself, Lucas carefully unwrapped it and showed her the contents.

"Daddy!" She cried happily, trying to bounce up into a sitting position. Luckily, Peyton had been paying attention and was able to keep her daughter in bed. "I love it! Thank you!" Lucas laid the old volume in Peyton's hand and she thumbed through it carefully, holding it so that Winifred could see the pages of one of the first editions of _The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe_.

"I'm glad you like it, bug. You'll have plenty of time to read it. Tomorrow." Winifred rolled her eyes, but still looked happy. Lucas kneeled down beside the bed so that they were at eyelevel with one another. "I have to go home for a while, but I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning. Alright?" Winifred nodded, her eyes closing as soon as he stood to leave the room. Peyton followed Lucas out, standing with him just outside her hospital room. Peyton leaned against her husband, allowing her shoulders to sag for a moment.

"It's going to be okay," Lucas whispered reassuringly. His voice returned to normal and he pulled her to arms length so that they could see one another while he spoke. "Mom's going to keep Gretchen at the Café with her tomorrow, so I'll be back as soon as I drop the boys at school. Are you going to be alright?"

"I'm fine," Peyton answered firmly. "Now go. I'll see you in the morning." He kissed her once more and then she watched him leave the corridor before walking back into Fred's room. The little girl was already deep in sleep, the book Lucas brought in one hand and her favorite stuffed dog under the other. Peyton gently pried the book away and placed it on the nightstand before turning and wondering what she was going to do for the night. Being married to Lucas, she had already read _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_ several times. Anything he thought was a classic was almost like required reading in their home. If she wanted to understand what he was talking about at any given point, she found it most helpful to read his preferred books.

Sighing, she sat down in one of the uncomfortable chairs and began digging through the bag Lucas had brought for her. A genuine smile graced her lips for the first time that day when she realized that he had included a sketchbook among her clothing and that her pencils and pens, in their black leather case, floated at the bottom of the bag with her hairbrush and glasses. Her mp3 player was also thrown into the bag, so she switched it on and happily realized that Lucas had loaded it with different tracks. Two hours later, when a nurse entered to check on Fred, Peyton was oblivious of her presence.

"Mrs. Scott?" When the young nurse realized that the blond had earphones on, she tapped her shoulder, causing Peyton to jump. She sheepishly removed the earphones and smiled at the woman.

"Hi. If everything okay?"

"Oh, yes. I just wanted to know if you'd like one of the orderlies to bring in a cot. You could try to get some sleep. She's out for the night."

"No, thank you. I'll be fine."

"Let someone at the desk know if you change your mind."

"Thanks." When Lucas arrived early the next morning with breakfast from his mom's café, Peyton looked worse than Winifred, who was actually looking better than she had in months. She looked up from _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_ when Lucas walked in and smiled happily.

"Hi daddy!"

"Hey bug," he said as he leaned over to kiss her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. I think we can go home." Lucas laughed, setting a bag on a nearby table.

"I hope you're right, kid." Peyton didn't move from her chair, but she smiled at Lucas. It wasn't a large smile, but at least it was real. He walked around the bed and crouched next to her, hugging her and kissing her gently. "Mom sent real food."

"That's good. Maybe later. I'm not very hungry—"

"Peyton. At least try some. You look awful."

"Thanks," she said dryly.

"Hey, I'm serious," he continued in a concerned tone. "Did you sleep at all?"

"A little. How is everyone?"

"Good. Ashton's a little worried about what he's going to do for a Halloween costume. You weren't there to brainstorm with him. But he thinks he can wait a few days."

"It's three weeks away," Peyton said with a sound resembling a laugh.

"Which is why he can wait. I'm here, why don't you go home and get some rest? Mom has Gretchen, so you'll have the house to yourself for a while."

"No. I'm staying."

"Peyton—"

"Lucas, I'm not leaving." Her voice was firm and the glare in her hazel eyes won over the dark circles that lay beneath. Lucas sighed and pulled a chair next to hers before pulling out the boxes from his mom and dividing the breakfast. They had almost finished when Dr. Triol walked in with a folder, looking cheerful.

"It certainly smells better in here than in the hospital cafeteria."

"My mom owns a Café," Lucas explained sheepishly. He had not even considered whether or not he should be bringing food into the hospital.

"Well, I have some good news for you." Peyton and Lucas sat up in their chairs, setting the food aside while Fred laid her book down, paying full attention. "From the test results, we at least know that Winifred doesn't have any sort of cancer, immunodeficiency, or meningitis. Mononucleosis is also out of the question."

"That's good," Peyton said slowly, relieved that three of the scariest words were no longer a possibility. Her heart was still racing as her mind tried to run through the other options and decide which would be the least devastating. Lucas grabbed her hand and squeezed, calming her slightly before the doctor continued.

"Do you have any idea what it _is_?" Lucas knew the doctor was trying his best, but he was losing his patience.

"I have an idea," he said with a nod, setting the folder on a table. He walked to Winifred's bed and asked her to relax. He pressed lightly just below the base of her neck and Winifred howled in pain, fresh tears springing to her eyes, causing both Lucas and Peyton to jump up, ready to push him away from their little girl. He held up a hand, gesturing for them to wait a minute. His fingers gently pushed at another point, this one just at her hip bone. This too, seemed to put Winifred in a great deal of pain.

"Okay, you can stop now," Peyton said angrily as she sat down next to Winifred and pulled the young girl into her arms. "What in the hell are you doing?"

"Those are pressure point," the doctor said carefully. "I'm sorry. I had to see if they did bother Winifred. It confirms my suspicion. Although it isn't usually the case for a young girl, Winifred has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also called Fibromyalga."

"What is it?" Lucas was apparently in charge of the conversation while Peyton calmed Winifred, whispering and rubbing her back in an attempt to stop the flow of tears.

"A disease much more commonly found in adults, mostly women. It's characterized by short fevers, aches, exhaustion, those pressure points, loss of appetite."

"What can we do?"

"There isn't a cure."

"What?" Peyton's angry voice scared Winifred, who had never had the occasion to anger her mother enough to make her yell.

"There's no cure," he repeated calmly, avoiding the death-like glare of the young woman and instead looking at her much more rational-seeming husband. "But there are treatments. A change in diet. Shortening the school day, making everything more routine. I'll give you more information before you leave. And you'll want to make an appointment with your primary care doctor."

"They didn't believe anything was wrong," Peyton snapped.

"I'll conference with—" he looked at the folder that he had once again picked up, "Dr. Ryan and make certain she realizes the situation."

"So we can leave?"

"You just have to fill out a few forms, and then you're free to take her home." Lucas nodded and turned to Peyton, who was still sitting, with Winifred curled up in her lap.

"I'll fill them out if you get her ready to go." Peyton nodded and waited until Lucas followed the doctor out of the room before moving to get ready. She gently nudged her daughter into a sitting position and stood up so that she could grab her bag, which held a change of clothing for the thirteen year old.

"Sorry," Peyton said when she saw the clothes in the bag. "Your dad picked them." Winifred laughed when she saw the choice; a cute little outfit she usually only wore when the grandparents were going to be around or they were going to church.

"It's okay, as long as I can go home."

"That's where we're headed."

"What did he mean by cutting down school hours?"

"I don't know," Peyton answered honestly. "We'll have to see."

"I don't want to miss too much. If I don't pass, I won't get to go to the high school next year—"

"You'll pass," Peyton answered with a knowing smile. "Between you, your dad, and Aunt Haley, you'll pass. Don't worry about it now." Winifred nodded and allowed her mother to help her dress in the pink sweater and matching pink and white skirt.

"We might have to explain to dad about the uses of formal clothing," Winifred said as she looked down at the skirt.

"He won't get it anyway," Peyton said with a sigh. She sat behind her daughter and tried to work a brush through the curly blonde locks but it was useless; Winifred hadn't been given the chance to use conditioner or de-frizzing type products in over a week and her hair, much like Peyton's always did, was rebelling. "French braids?" Winifred nodded and Peyton set to work on the hair, trying to tame it into two braids without pulling too much. Lucas returned twenty minutes later, a nurse accompanied him with a wheelchair.

Winifred attempted to argue, but the nurse stated that it was hospital policy. Lucas picked her up and set her in the chair, handing her the one little bag of things she had accumulated. Slinging Peyton's bag over his shoulder and leaving his wife to carry only a vase of flowers and her sketchpad, he zoomed out of the room, pretending to race down the hall toward the car. Winifred giggled the whole way and Peyton laughed, trying her best to keep up with them. When they arrived home, Peyton noticed with some suspicion that there were several recognizable cars parked along the street.

Upon entering the house, they found an entire living room full of people waiting to welcome Winifred home. They all knew she needed her rest, but couldn't allow her to come home with absolutely no hoopla. Lucas, who had been carrying his daughter, set her gently on the sofa that Haley and Brooke vacated. Karen and Keith were the first to say hello and the first to leave after wishing their granddaughter to feel better.

"Look in the nightstand drawer," Karen whispered as she hugged the young girl. Winifred grinned, knowing there was probably a well-hidden stock of chocolate in her room, complements of her grandma. Peyton always tried to get them to eat good food, but Karen was always big on the sweets and it transferred onto her grandchildren. Luckily, the young mother didn't hear the doting grandmother; she was too busy being cornered by her two best friends. Haley and Brooke, having ordered their husbands to watch the children, had herded Peyton into her bedroom and were attempting to extract some sort of emotion from her. The tired blond, still in slight shock over the happenings of the past few days, was not folding in response to any of their tactics.

She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, Haley lounging next to her and Brooke pacing anxiously across the room. "Stop it Brooke, you're making me nervous," Haley ordered tiredly.

"Like you weren't already," Brooke stated snidely. Haley raised her eyebrows, signaling that Brooke wasn't completely wrong. "Are you sure you're alright, P. Sawyer?" Brooke flopped down next to Peyton, pulling her arms around the taller girl.

"I'm fine," Peyton said with a half-smile.

"You don't have to pretend," Haley insisted gently. She put her hand reassuringly on Peyton's knee, but stayed where she was. Her large belly and swollen feet didn't allow for much unnecessary movement. Peyton shook her head, casting her eyes down at the bedspread and attempting to shrug off both sets of probing eyes.

"I'm fine," she said wearily.

"No you're not," Haley argued. "And you don't have to do this all on your own. If you need anything—"

"—we're here to help," Brooke continued, nudging closer to her best friend.

"We'll be okay. There's nothing that anyone else can do right now."

"But you tell us the second you need help," Haley insisted.

"Hales, you're almost nine months pregnant. No offence, but you're not able to do much right now," Peyton said, emphatically gesturing to Haley's swollen stomach.

"I can listen anytime you need to talk. Just promise you'll remember that."

"I will," Peyton promised softly. Before any of the girls were able to respond, there was a knock at the bedroom door. Brooke sat up, sitting back on the bed as the door opened to expose Karen and Lucas.

"Sorry to interrupt," Karen said with a kind smile. "But I just wanted to say goodnight."

"Thanks so much for coming." Peyton started to get up as she spoke, but Karen indicated that she stay put.

"I'm perfectly capable of showing myself out. You girls stay where you are." She moved over to the bed and hugged Peyton tightly, holding Brooke's hand as she spoke. "You're so lucky to have one another as family – don't forget that. And that little girl of ours—she's going to be just fine. She comes from strong stock," Karen said proudly as she pulled away and kissed Peyton's forehead. She then stepped back and also kissed Haley, playfully patting her belly before finally standing up and leaving the room. The three girls didn't talk much longer, but their time together made all the difference. Although Peyton knew she had an amazing husband and four loving children, it helped to know that she had friends and sisters to help her navigate the bumpy roads of life.

After Karen and Keith left, the rest of the family followed quickly. They were all waiting for answers as to why Winifred was in the hospital in the first place, but Lucas and Peyton were keeping quiet until they knew and understood more.

* * *

The title this chapter comes from the Burmese Proverb "In time of test, family is best." 


	17. Just Keeps Getting Better

Chapter 17 – Just Keeps Getting Better

Getting ready to go to the family dinner three days after Fred's return from the hospital, Peyton was pounding and stomping around the room, becoming angry with anyone in sight. She hated 'family' dinners with Dan and Deb more than she disliked anything else in her seemingly perfect life. With Karen and Keith they always felt at home, able to act normally and have a good time with the people they loved. In the presence of the man who had attempted at one point or another to ruin both of the younger Scott couples, dinner was a lot less desirable. After Winifred was born, Peyton had been surprised when Dan and Deb showed up in the hospital to meet her. As far as the new mother had been concerned, Karen, Keith and Larry were the grandparents to her beautiful baby. Thirteen years later, the most tyrannical of the Scott brood still felt they had some sort of right over Lucas and Peyton's children. Slightly amusing after all the time Dan had spent attempting to ignore Lucas's existence in his life.

Lucas probably should have turned around and walked back out of the room when he entered to find Peyton stomping around, slamming drawers and flinging clothing. Instead, he closed the door and tried to greet her. Her hazel eyes glared at him for a moment and then went back to a hasty search for some unknown item.

"I have nothing to wear," she said in a frustrated tone as she pushed hangers haphazardly along the closet bar, causing several blouses to fall to the floor.

"I'm sure there's something—"

"There's not!"

"Peyton, you look fine with what you have on." He was trying to stop her incessant pacing and mad dashes from closet to dresser, but she was obviously avoiding him.

"I'm wearing jeans," she seethed. "I can't wear jeans to Sunday dinner. You know that."

"It's not that big a deal. If you want to wear jeans, wear them."

"I don't want to go," she said suddenly, as though just coming to the revelation herself. "I can't go over there. I don't want all those people asking questions and looking at me like I've done something wrong."

"You haven't done anything wrong."

"My baby girl is sick and has been for months. And there's nothing I can do—"

"That doesn't make you a bad mother," Lucas said gently as he finally caught her and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. "You were the only one who knew something was wrong, even when the doctors were writing it off. Fred is going to be fine. And that's not likely to be a topic of conversation at dinner."

"Has something else happened in the past three days more captivating?"

"Peyton," Lucas said with a chuckle, "I think you're worrying over nothing." That was the wrong thing to say. She pulled away from him and went back to the closet, looking once more through the dozens of apparently unappealing skirts and slacks. "This isn't all about dinner. If you're going to be angry with me, at least tell me why."

"It's not about you! And I'm not angry!"

"Peyt, you're very angry. What's going on?" Lucas finally stopped her from pacing by waiting for her to pass and grabbing her from behind. He held her in front of her, not allowing her to continue her rampage.

"Lucas!"

"Calm down for a second. Could you stop the pacing? If you're not worried about Fred and you feel fine, what's with the mood?"

"I'm just as entitled to bad days as the next person." Her words were broken with the beginnings of sobs and Lucas did let go, allowing her to continue pacing the room while he sat down on the bed in defeat.

"This is a little extreme," Lucas said. "Is it coming up to that time?"

"Are you suggesting that I'm being irrational because of my period?" Peyton's voice was dangerously cold and it caused Lucas to inwardly cringe. Nevertheless, he decided to be brave and nod.

"It crossed my mind."

"For your information, it's not that time—" She stopped herself mid-sentence and ran from the room, Lucas in quick pursuit.

"Peyton!" It had taken him a minute to catch up because he had not expected her to run away and by the time he reached the den; she had torn apart most of her desk. She clawed quickly through her date book and Lucas could see that something unexpected was found in the little rectangle of green leather.

"What is it?"

"Oh God."

"Peyton, talk to me—"

"It's been months." Her expression was one of disbelief as she thumbed through the date book, flipping back and forth to make certain she hadn't missed one of the little black stars that usually occupied a square or two every month.

"What do you mean?" He tried to look at the book and make sense of what she was saying, but he was completely lost.

"Months Lucas. I haven't—" Suddenly, he realized what she was talking about and he couldn't help the grin that quickly graced his countenance.

"Could you be?" Peyton glared at him and shook her head in disbelief at his question.

"I'm only thirty-one! Of course I could be!" He closed the den door and crossed the room, taking advantage of her surprise to pull his arms around her in an embrace.

"I know you're young enough. I just wasn't aware that you stopped taking the pill."

"I didn't. I must have missed some. With Fred, it's been so crazy—" Her voice was growing softer, calmer as the realization of the possibilities settled over her.

"It's okay. We'll handle it. It's not the worst thing that's happened."

"It's awful timing," she said mournfully.

"We should make sure before we start worrying," he said evenly, trying to stop her negative thoughts. He looked at his watch and groaned. "I'll call Deb and tell her we're not coming—"

"No!"

"Peyton, it's okay. I'll just order a pizza or something—"

"If we don't go, they'll all think something's wrong. And I don't want people dropping by all week to make sure everything's okay. The last time we skipped a dinner, it took three months to convince Deb that you and I weren't considering a separation. And it just gives Dan ammunition for the next time he eggs you into an argument."

"Are you sure about this?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "But we don't have a choice." A loud knock sounded on the door, transforming them immediately from worried, angst-ridden Peyton and Lucas to plain old mom and dad. It was Ryan, informing them that it was time to leave.

"Wait for us in the living room. We'll be out in a few minutes," Lucas said without regard to the fact that they were going to be late. Ryan saw Peyton in jeans and a t-shirt and indignation came over the little boy.

"Hey! If mom gets to wear jeans, so do I!"

"Your mom's not wearing jeans," Lucas retuned sternly. "We'll be ready soon. Go watch your little sister." Ryan left; sulking with the indignity of a nine year old forced to wear khakis, a collared shirt, and his hair slicked back. Peyton smiled slightly, shaking her head as they walked back to their bedroom.

"You'd think we were making him wear a bow tie," she said with a laugh.

"Hey," Lucas said with an amused sparkle in his blue eyes, "that's not a bad idea!" He could breathe again, now that he had heard her laugh; it was going to be all right. Since she so rarely got into moods anymore, the infrequent times always caused Lucas to worry. She didn't have Brooke to talk to as much anymore, and while Haley was a good friend, she had never understood Peyton as much as either Brooke or Lucas. For the moment, life was calm again and they continued to get ready for dinner, pushing from their minds the coming changes in their lives.

* * *

The title comes from the song "Amazed" by Lonestar

"I don't know how you do what you do  
I'm so in love with you  
It just keeps getting better  
I want to spend the rest of my life  
With you by my side  
Forever and ever  
Every little thing that you do  
Baby, I'm amazed by you".


	18. Name You Haven't Earned Yet

Chapter 18 Name You Haven't Earned

They were late to dinner that night, but luckily they were not the most interesting hold up. Haley and Nathan were late because they arrived on route from the hospital, where she had been for two hours before the doctor decided she was in false labor. Haley had not been thrilled with the discovery; she was ready to be done with pregnancy. Even less thrilling was the decision to go to the family dinner anyway. She grumbled about her stomach not fitting under the table as she took her place between Peyton and Nathan.

"Hey, how are you?" Peyton's question was answered by a glare from the petite brunette.

"I'm over eight months pregnant. How were you when you were eight months pregnant? Oh! That's right! Still skinny!" Peyton tried not to laugh, but Haley was funny in her uncharacteristically bad mood. It was true; she had carried all of her children higher than most women, causing her to have a relatively small stomach through every pregnancy. Haley, on the other hand, had gotten a huge stomach during both pregnancies. That caused her to be on bed rest with Jared because her small frame was under too much stress with the extra weight. They were all surprised that, during this pregnancy, the doctor had not yet suggested the same precaution. At the same time Peyton had been yelling at Lucas earlier that afternoon, Haley had been yelling at Nathan in the hospital. It was his fault, after all. Everything was when his wife was over eight months pregnant.

The Scott brothers were visibly exhausted that day, leaving both of their mothers a bit concerned. Peyton was surprised to see Karen and Keith at the family dinner since it did not happen often. Then she realized that Lucas must have invited them to soften the influence of Dan and Deb. Dinner was nearly over when Peyton noticed that Winifred, who was sitting directly across from her, was trying to get her attention. The little girl obviously wanted to get away from the table, so Peyton nodded her consent. Winifred walked around the table and whispered in her mom's ear.

"I'm gonna go lay down in Uncle Nathan's room."

"Okay. We're going to leave soon, alright?" Winifred was on her way out of the dining room when Dan's voice stopped her.

"Where are you going, Winifred?"

"I'm not very hungry," she answered softly, looking down at the floor.

"That's ridiculous," he said with a scoff. "Your grandmother worked hard on this dinner, and you can eat it. It's rude to leave the table while others are still eating."

"Go on upstairs, Fred. We'll come and get you before we leave," Peyton said in a clearly defiant voice. After she had broken up with Nathan all those years ago, she had promised herself that Dan Scott would never bully her again; that stood for her daughter as well. Winifred looked frightened, but she listened to her mom and headed into the hallway.

"Clearly you haven't instilled in your children any form of polite manners," Dan scoffed. He attacked Peyton most often, knowing that it grated at his illegitimate son more than any direct antagonizing. Lucas was tense, but he didn't want to start a scene, not with the children around or Haley in her current condition.

"Peyton and I don't see a point in forcing a kid to eat when they aren't hungry," Lucas defended.

"I never expected you'd be a strict disciplinarian, not with your upbringing."

"Dan," Deb warned wearily. "Stop it."

"We should probably go," Peyton said softly to Lucas. He stood and motioned for Ryan and Ashton to get up. Peyton picked up Gretchen from her highchair and began ushering the boys to the door while Lucas headed up the stairs to get their older daughter.

"Please don't leave," Deb pleaded. "I'm sorry about Dan—"

"It's not just him," Peyton said, deflated. She was tired of putting on a show for people that she would rather not be spending time with. Granted, she would be comfortable with everyone in the room but Deb and Dan. There was something about the house, though, that caused them all to revert back to the days when Dan held control over most of their lives. "Fred doesn't feel well. We should probably take her home anyway."

"You shouldn't indulge her," Dan said, standing up from the table. "The child's clearly a hypochondriac. I have it on good authority that she's missed one out of every two days since school's been in session."

"That's none of your business," Peyton said in a calm, pinched voice. She was very aware of the fact that she was holding Gretchen and she didn't want to scare the child. "And you have no idea what's going on with Fred."

"What _is_ going on with Fred?" Deb asked softly. Peyton looked up to see that everyone was not standing, listening to the tense conversation. Karen and Deb both looked worried, Nathan and Haley both angered by Dan's behavior and concerned with the newfound mystery. Lucas had returned with an almost-sleeping Fred draped in his arms.

"We have to go," Peyton said quickly, sending apologetic looks to Karen and Haley. She simply couldn't deal with the drama right now; all she wanted to do was go home, put her children to bed, and be alone with her husband. Lucas wasn't exactly sure what had transpired in his absence, but he also wasn't in the state of mind to care. He quietly asked Ashton to open the door and then carried his daughter out to their car, where he laid her in the middle seat. The other three, Gretchen in her car seat included, squished into the back seats while Peyton took the passenger seat and Lucas drove.

"You okay?" Lucas asked as he turned out into the road.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not worried about me."

"You rarely do," he muttered. She ignored him, looking out instead at the splattering of raindrops that were beginning to land on the windshield. When they arrived back at the house, the rain had begun to descend in torrents, making it difficult to get to the house and remain dry. None of them succeeded.

"Ryan, go and start your brother's bathwater in my bathroom," Peyton said as soon as they'd gotten in the door.

"Mom—" He started to whine in protest, but she stopped him immediately.

"Ryan Nathan Scott, start the water." He sulked away, a bit hurt that his mother had yelled at him and not given him a chance to speak.

"Peyton, I'm gonna run to the store. Do you need anything else?" He was looking at her with a meaningful expression and she knew immediately why he was headed out in the awful weather. She shook her head and Lucas trotted off toward the door. He was gone for less than a minute when Peyton's attention was once again waylaid by one of her sons.

"Mama?" Peyton looked down to see Ashton pulling at her skirt.

"What's up, babe?" She was trying to keep her bad mood in check around her kids, but it was growing increasingly difficult.

"We didn't get to finish our chicken. I think that's what Ryan was gonna say—"

"Okay," Peyton said with a sigh, angry with herself for yelling at the little boy. "We'll find something after your baths, okay?" Ashton nodded and ran down the hall to tell his brother. Balancing Gretchen on her hip, Peyton went into the kitchen and searched for something that would suffice for dinner but not prove too heavy to eat before bed. After the other kids were tucked into bed and she supposed Ashton was asleep, Peyton crept up to the boys' room with a tray containing hot chocolate and cookies.

"Can I come in?" She asked Ryan softly. He opened his eyes a bit, finally giving up the pretense of sleep, and nodded. He sat up in bed and Peyton could see that his book light and sketchpad were under the covers, probably in use until he heard her creeping up the stairs. "I'm sorry I yelled at you," Peyton said gently. She set the tray down on the nightstand and then ruffled his hair as she pulled him into a hug. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but parents are people too. We make mistakes. Sometimes you probably wish you had different parents, but we really do love you. Even if it doesn't always feel that way."

"You're not too bad," Ryan said abashedly, hiding his face. She could only imagine that there were tears welling in his eyes.

"I love you, my little boy," Peyton said gently as she dropped a kiss on the top of his head. "And don't you forget that." She hugged him tightly before letting go and then standing. Reaching the door, she was about to step into the hall when she heard Ryan call after her.

"Mom?"

"Yeah Ry?"

"I love you too." Peyton smiled and blew him a kiss before closing the door. She was able to make it to her bedroom before breaking down into sobs.

"Hey," Lucas said in surprise when she entered. He had already returned home from the store and said goodnight to his kids but this was his first sighting of his wife since they'd first arrived back from Dan's house. "What happened?" She shook her head and laid down on the bed, burying her face in a throw pillow. "Peyton, what's going on now?"

"It's nothing," she said shakily. "I'm just a horrible mother who yelled at her own son for being hungry. I'm taking out my moods on my kids. I promised myself that I would never do that. What's happening to me Lucas?"

"You're stressed out," Lucas answered gently. He picked her up off the bed and cradled her in his arms, wiping the tears from her face before continuing. "And no one expects you to be perfect. Four kids is a whole lot of kids. And with Fred being sick and Gretchen being—Gretchen, it's no wonder you're overwhelmed."

"What are we gonna do if I'm really pregnant? Five kids is more than four kids."

"It is," Lucas answered seriously.

"I don't know if I can handle that," Peyton said with an accompanying look of horror. Her southern accent, thicker than his own, was more evident than usual when she was panicking. Lucas found it incredibly endearing.

"But _we _certainly can," he answered.

"Are you gonna be pregnant this time?"

"You know I would if I could."

"No you wouldn't," she said crossly. "It's just something men say because they know it can't come true. I'm the one who has to be pregnant for nine months and go through labor." She whimpered at the thought. "Luke, I'm not doing that again. I love my kids, really I do. But I can't be in labor again. I'm now a wimp. I can't deal with pain—"

"Peyton—" He said her name gently, interrupting her nervous rambling.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we should find out first if there's anything to worry about." She nodded and allowed him to lead her into the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, they were both happy and only slightly terrified to realize that the Scott family was about to grow by one new member.

* * *

The title of this chapter comes from a Nickelback song "Never Again"

"Father's a name you haven't earned yet  
You're just a child with a temper"


	19. The Difficulty of Forgiving a Friend

Chapter 19 The Difficulty of Forgiving a Friend

The next morning, after gaining approximately three hours of sleep, Lucas rolled out of bed quietly, attempting not to wake his wife. After dressing and getting himself ready, he went to the boys' room and woke them up, urging them to get ready for school quickly.

"Where's mom?" Ryan asked suspiciously, not used to his father waking him on school mornings.

"Sleeping," Lucas answered. "Let's get a move-on! I can't be late!" Both boys grumbled, but quickly began to get dressed for the day. He was on his way to Gretchen's room when he heard noise coming from Winifred's. Opening the door, he saw that she was fumbling around for her glasses.

"You're not going to school, Fred. Go back to sleep."

"Dad—"

"No arguments. You were in the hospital. Give it a few more days. Go back to sleep." He tucked her back under the covers and kissed her forehead before going in search of his younger daughter. Lucas found Gretchen still sleeping and decided to leave her; the females of this household apparently needed more sleep that day. Reluctantly, he called the Jagielski household before eight in the morning. Jake answered the telephone and seemed incredibly surprised when Lucas asked to speak with Brooke. Apparently that meant having to wake the sleeping princess.

"Whatdoyouwant?" She snapped grouchily.

"I need your help," Lucas answered evenly. "Peyton's not feeling well and Fred is home from school. I need you to keep an eye on the two of them and Gretchen while I'm at work."

"Sure," Brooke mumbled after a few seconds of thoughts. "I'll be over in a few."

"Thanks Brooke."

"Whatever," she mumbled tiredly before handing the phone back to Jake.

"Hey man, what's up? Everything okay over there?"

"We're fine," Lucas answered. "Peyton's just a little under the weather and I don't want her to have to keep up with Gretchen all day. She's a pretty active kid."

"Let us know if there's anything we can do to help."

"Brooke coming over is more than enough. Thanks man."

"Anytime. See you later."

"Bye." Lucas hung up the phone and returned to the kitchen to find Ashton and Ryan sitting at the table, looking at him expectantly. He grumbled a bit, thinking that they were old enough to pour their own cereal. Unfortunately, Gretchen woke up just as Brooke arrived and put up quite the fuss when Lucas attempted to leave.

Peyton woke at nine that morning with a pounding headache; the kind that usually came after a night filled with too much stress and too many tears. She was alarmed when she saw the red digits of the alarm clock and sprang out of bed, running down the hall in her bare feet. She soon found Brooke and Gretchen, who were sitting on a sofa in the living room. The little girl was cheerfully clapping along with a sing-along movie while Brooke leafed through a magazine in which she seemed to find little or no interest. Peyton realized the reason for that when Brooke set the magazine down and revealed it to be one of Lucas's book catalogues.

"Hey sleeping goldilocks," Brooke said cheerfully when she saw Peyton.

Gretchen quickly scrambled off of the sofa and ran at Peyton full speed, happy to see her mother for the first time that day. She had been less than pleased when her father had left her with Brooke and it had taken Brooke almost half an hour to pry the little girl away from the front window, from where she had watched her father leave.

"What are you doing here?" Peyton's voice betrayed the small fact that she was still tired.

"You don't sound happy to see me," Brooke pouted.

"Happy. Yes. But also confused."

"Lucas called this morning. Said you were still sleeping and he needed someone to watch baby goldilocks. And since I have nothing better to do—"

"Brooke, that's not true."

"Yeah, it is. I'm not getting into a debate with you over the meaninglessness that is my life. What's up with you? You're normally super mom. I was surprised to find out you sleep at all anymore."

"I think that's the problem," Peyton said with a half-smile. She turned her attention back to her daughter, who was reaching to her mother, trying to get Peyton to pick her up. She couldn't though, now that she knew she was pregnant. Instead, she stooped down and hugged the little girl and kissed her cheek. "Did we have breakfast this morning, baby girl?" Gretchen answered by giggling and extracting from the pocket of her pink jean skirt a few pieces of cereal. "And you're apparently saving some for later," Peyton said dryly as she raised her eyebrows at Brooke.

"Hey, she's your kid. She wanted cereal for the road. I wasn't arguing."

"And you're not the one who has to do the laundry. I'm going to check on Fred-"

"She's fine. We looked in five minutes ago and she was reading. Lucas has already talked to her this morning. He called after his first class."

"Thanks Brooke. I'm sorry Lucas woke you up this morning. You don't have to stay."

"Yeah, I actually do." Peyton looked at her questioningly and Brooke continued with her line of reasoning. "My husband and yours were both pretty insistent that I'm not supposed to leave you alone today."

"Lucas is overreacting," Peyton said with a sigh. "It's really only sweet for a little while. Then, it's a little annoying. This is what too much crying gets you."

"You're lucky. I usually get a Prozac shoved down my throat."

"I'm sure you're exaggerating a little bit."

"You'd expect anything else?" They both laughed and Peyton sat down on the floor, tired after just a few minutes of standing.

"Since you've been forced to take the day off, why don't you go back to bed? It probably wouldn't hurt."

"At this point, I'm up. I'm going to eat. Want anything?"

"Nope, we're good." Peyton smiled as she walked into the kitchen. She was surprised, but slightly relieved, when Gretchen didn't follow. The little girl was not going to understand her mother's sudden reluctance to picking her up and carrying her around as she normally did. After finishing her breakfast and peaking back in on Brooke and Gretchen, Peyton walked up the stairs and knocked lightly on Winifred's door.

"Come in."

"Morning."

"Hey. I was wondering where you were. What's aunt Brooke doing here?"

"You'll have to ask your dad," Peyton answered with a small smile. She crossed the room and sat, tiredly, next to her daughter. Still clad in pajamas from the previous night, Peyton pulled her feet up and snuggled under the covers as soon as Fred offered them. "What's that?"

"Book for school," Fred answered as she showed Peyton the tattered copy of _All Quiet on the Western Front_. "It's sort of depressing."

"If I remember correctly, most of the classics are. Can I turn on the TV?" Fred nodded and Peyton reached for the remote, which she used to quickly find a channel replaying old horror movies. Fred shook her head as her mother started watching _House on Haunted Hill_ and continued with her book until Brooke poked her head in looking for them.

"Comfortable?" She asked Peyton with a smirk.

"I figured I'd take advantage of you serving me. It's not like it'll ever happen again."

"Not likely," Brooke agreed. When Lucas got home from practice that evening, he was surprised to find Peyton and Fred both asleep, curled up on Fred's little princess bed while _Dial M for Murder_ was playing on the little TV. Now that he was home, he could breath again. Although his mind had argued with him all day and assured him that his family was fine, an inner voice had plagued him ever since he had left them with Brooke. Old wounds healed slowly and trust took a very long time to regain.

* * *

The chapter title is taken loosely from this quote:

"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend." William Blake


	20. A Mother's Work

Here's the next chapter – I know it's moving slowly right now, but the story is about to pick up – and include more of the other Scott family, Brooke, and Jake. Thanks for all the reviews! I hope you all enjoy this chapter – let me know what you think!

* * *

Chapter 20 A Mother's Work

No one in the Scott household was ready to get up the next morning; the previous day had been too chaotic to lead into any amount of decent sleep. Lucas was up with the first warning of the alarm clock but he switched it off right away and attempted to quietly get ready for the day. He woke his sons and oldest daughter and began laying out breakfast before he even attempted to wake his wife. Peyton woke with a start, the top of her head catching his chin with a large crack.

"Owww," she moaned softly as she rubbed her head.

"Yeah," he agreed as he rubbed his chin. "Are you still getting up to go in with Fred? I could take her in—"

"No, I'm getting up," Peyton insisted. She had spoken to Haley at dinner the night before and her sister-in-law had offered to watch Gretchen while Peyton ran a few errands that morning. Haley was home on early maternity leave and was happy to help, even though it left her incredibly curious. She knew that her zealous and diligent friend rarely needed someone to keep an eye on Gretchen; it was not often that the toddler did not accompany her mother. Nevertheless, she had agreed without questioning to keep an eye on the baby that morning.

"I'll drop Gretchen off with Hales before I take the boys to school," Lucas said as he straightened his tie.

"Sounds good," Peyton said groggily. "Don't say anything—"

"I'll wait until we're together," he agreed. "But we have to at least tell Haley and Nathan."

"We'll wait until their baby is born," Peyton said stubbornly. "I'm not stealing their thunder."

"Fair enough. It won't be much longer." He turned to see that she hadn't made it very far; she was sitting groggily on the edge of the bed, contemplating her next move. "I'll see you in a few," he said with a chuckle. She nodded, not getting up to look through her closet until he was gone. A pair of khakis, a purple button down shirt, a pair of loafers, and a necklace later, Peyton was sitting in the kitchen with her sons, picking at the muffin Lucas had handed her.

"Mom, can I join the band?" Ashton's excited request was interrupted by Ryan's scoffing and hurtful words.

"The band is for geeks."

"Ryan!" Peyton warned with a glare; she wasn't in any mood to deal with his attitude that morning. "Ash, you can do whatever you like. The band sounds like fun. What did you want to play?"

"It's stupid anyway," the little boy said quietly, staring down into his cereal. Peyton glared at Ryan but allowed the subject to drop; she would talk to Ashton when his brother was not around; that usually made the little boy open up more.

"It's not stupid, kid-o. We'll talk about it later, okay?" Ashton nodded, but looked absolutely miserable. Half an hour later, after Lucas had left with the three youngest, Winifred came trudging down the stairs, her eyes dark underneath from a lack of proper sleep.

"Are you alright?" Peyton asked as she felt her daughter's forehead; it wasn't terribly warm.

"Yeah."

"Do you want something for breakfast?"

"I ate the toast dad brought upstairs. I did," she insisted after noticing Peyton's suspicious expression.

"Okay," Peyton said slowly, unconvinced. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes," Winifred answered firmly. "I have to go mom. I have to try."

"I know," Peyton said mournfully. She leaned down to hug her daughter close. "I just worry."

"I know," Winifred said with a roll of her eyes. She offered her mom a genuine smile. "I'll be fine. We'd better go."

"Alright. Come on." Peyton grabbed her purse and her keys before going out to the driveway with her daughter. She had a meeting with the principle and guidance counselor to let them know what was going on, and to find out what needed to be done to ensure her daughter passed the eighth grade.

"Love you mom." Winifred said as she jumped out of the car. She didn't want to chance her mother actually walking into school with her; that would be incredibly embarrassing.

"Love you too, have a good day."

"You too!" Peyton parked and walked into the main entrance, checking in with the secretary and then sitting down to wait.

"Mrs. Scott! How nice to see you! I didn't realize we had an appointment—" The principle stood just inside his office door, slightly surprised to find Peyton in his office. Just then, another woman walked in and he remembered setting the time for the meeting. "That's right – this is about Winifred."

"Hi Peyton," the other woman said with a smile as she took the other chair in the room.

"Audrey," Peyton said with a nod. She had graduated with the woman who was now one of the guidance counselors at the middle school. The two had never really gotten along because Audrey had spent her entire school career infatuated with the Scott brothers; both of who occupied spots in Peyton's closest circle of friends.

"Well, what can we help you with Mrs. Scott? I have noticed that Winifred has been missing quite a bit of school this year. I hope everything is alright—"

"It's actually not," Peyton interrupted quickly, not wanting to dance through the niceties before getting to the point. She reached into her bag and pulled out a folder, which contained both the specialist's and the doctor's notes and explanations. She handed copies to the principal. "She hasn't been feeling well all summer and recently we discovered the reason. The doctor believes she has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I don't really understand it much myself," Peyton admitted, "but I know that there is something wrong with Fred and that's the first reasonable explanation we've been offered.

The notes from her doctors should explain everything, but I wanted to make sure we work out a reasonable schedule. She needs to have fewer hours of class. The doctor thought 8 to noon would be a preferable schedule, but we can be lenient as long as it's consistent."

"Mrs. Scott, you must understand, the school day lasts until 3. We simply cannot allow one student to forgo three hours of the school day—"

"You don't have a choice," Peyton insisted. "She can't handle long days. We're willing to work with her at home to make sure she keeps up with the work. I need your assurance that she's not going to be penalized for missing classes when necessary."

"It's going to be incredibly difficult for Winifred, as intelligent a child as she is, to keep up in so many classes. Have you considered pulling her out for a medical leave?"

"It's not necessary," Peyton insisted. "She can still do the work; it just needs to be on her own time table. I'm sure you're aware that my husband is a teacher, along with my sister. They're perfectly capable of helping her keep up."

"I'm well aware of your family ties," he answered. Peyton knew exactly what he was implying; had she entered with any other family name, she would never have been given the time of day to begin with. Nathan and Lucas were surrounded by some sort of quasi-legend that demanded respect in this town and their wives continually benefited from it. It also helped that the name caused most people to see dollar signs.

"I'm sure we can work something out," Audrey said cheerfully. She had been silent up until that point, tapping away on her laptop. "We can rework Winifred's schedule so that her important classes are in the morning. English, History, German, and Algebra can all be fit in before lunch."

"Thank you," Peyton said sincerely. "Do I need to speak to her teachers, or will you?"

"Oh, we'll take care of everything," Audrey said, once more in an overly sugary tone.

"I'll be back to pick her up at noon then."

"Let us know if we can help in any other way," Audrey offered as Peyton stood.

"Certainly will," Peyton returned, inwardly craving to roll her eyes. The only reason Audrey was being so nice was because she now had a juicy little tidbit about the Scott family to spread around town. Peyton was angry with herself for not realizing it sooner; Audrey was going to make her little girl the day's top gossip story. The mother of four quickly excused herself, only gaining a bit of satisfaction when she saw, upon leaving, that part of the other woman's skirt was tucked into her stockings. Despite all the maturity she had gained over the years, Peyton still couldn't bring herself to tell the woman and save her later embarrassment.

* * *

The title comes from this quote:

"A man's work is from sun to sun, but a mother's work is never done"


	21. Headaches and Heartaches

Chapter 21 Headaches and Heartaches

Peyton was slightly alarmed when she arrived at Haley's house to find the door unlocked; that was never usually the case. She pushed it open gently and called out for Haley and then Gretchen. She was in the living room when Gretchen came toddling out of the hallway, thrilled to see her mother. Although she loved her Aunt Haley, she didn't adjust well to anyone other than her mother. Even Lucas had a difficult time trying to take her places without Peyton's presence. Setting her purse on the end table and taking Gretchen's hand, Peyton walked back toward the master bedroom.

"Hales? Are you in there?" She knocked once on the bedroom door but then simply pushed it open when there was no reply. The room was empty. Peyton felt a bit panicked; she would expect a disappearing act from Brooke perhaps, but never Haley. Especially a very pregnant Haley. "Haley," she called again.

"In here." Haley's voice was incredibly strained and when Peyton reached the doorway to the master bathroom, she saw that her sister in law was apparently in labor. She was sitting in an uncomfortable looking position on a pile of towels and holding onto the edge of the bathtub.

"What in the hell are you doing?"

"Apparently I'm in labor," Haley said dryly, with an almost surprised look.

"Why didn't you call Nathan? Or me? Or Karen?"

"Why don't we worry about the explanation later? A little help?" Peyton helped Haley into a standing position.

"Your water broke," Peyton observed.

"And who says blonds aren't bright—"'

"I can't wait until you're not allowed to be the crabby pregnant lady anymore. Come on, Lucas's is going to kill me—"

"For what?"

"For the mess you're going to make in the car," Peyton teased as she grabbed a few towels from the pile on the floor. "Come on Gretchen, we're going out to the car," Peyton said to the little girl as she kept one arm around Haley as they walked toward the front door. "Do you have a bag?"

"Front closet," Haley said as her face began to contort. "Contraction, I have to sit down—"

"No, you don't," Peyton answered back matter-of-factly. "Because you're not having this baby in the house." She quickly found Haley's bag and they continued to the car. Although she was normally forbidden, Peyton used the speaker car phone to call Haley's doctor and Nathan. By the time they reached the hospital, there was a room available and the nurse led Haley directly there. Peyton stood uneasily in the waiting room, not sure what to do with herself. There was a plan all laid out for the delivery but the plan was null-in-void now that it was a week early and Nathan was out of town.

Pulling a pen and small sketchpad out of her purse, she quickly made a list of what needed to be done. Nathan had already been called; Lucas and Karen were next on the list. Haley's parents weren't always reachable but Peyton would at least try their answering service. Peyton could stay with Haley as they had planned, but Gretchen posed a problem, as did the other kids returning from school in a few hours. Fred. Fred needed to be picked up in a matter of two hours. Taking a deep breath, Peyton picked up Gretchen once more and made her way to the pay phone.

Many phone calls later; she was awaiting Karen and Brooke's arrivals. Karen needed to be at the hospital with Haley but Brooke had offered to take over with the menagerie of children in the Scott family. She only looked slightly horrified when Peyton handed over a screaming Gretchen and a list of things to do for the other four kids she would soon be watching over. After maneuvering every member of the family into the right place and making sure everyone necessary was notified, Peyton was exhausted. Unfortunately she had the unhappy task of telling Haley that Nathan had still not arrived at the hospital.

When she entered the room, Karen was trying to keep Haley calm, reading to her from some novel Peyton recognized. She was only in the room for five minutes, listening to Karen's calm voice and Haley's occasional gasps when Lucas raced into the room looking hurried and disheveled.

"I don't think you hurried that much for my deliveries," Peyton teased.

"Hey Hales," Lucas said once he regained his breath, ignoring Peyton's joking comment.

"Where's Nathan?" Haley's demand was not an unreasonable one; Nathan had been called a long time prior and he should have made it to the hospital by that time.

"I'm sure he's on his way," Karen answered in her unusually soothing voice.

"He should be here," Haley whimpered, crossing her arms in front of her.

"He will be," Karen assured her. "Go find him," she said in an urgent whisper to Lucas. Lucas nodded, gave a quick kiss to Peyton, and then left the room to track down his brother. While Karen and Peyton were trying to keep Haley calm and Lucas was attempting to track down his brother, Brooke was facing difficulties on another battlefield. The middle school.

As soon as she entered, Brooke realized that the elderly secretary remembered her. And apparently she hadn't made a good impression in her teenage years. Upon entering the office, she set Gretchen down on a chair and handed her the car keys, an item the baby found highly amusing. Mustering up her best smile, she walked over to the desk and informed the woman that she needed to pick up her niece, who had an early dismissal.

"Are you a parent or guardian?"

"I'm an Aunt," Brooke replied dryly.

"I'm sorry. School policy says we can only release a student to his or her parent or guardian," the woman quipped, sounding much like a recording.

"Mrs. Meyers, you know who I am. You know who Winifred Scott is. You know that I'm not a stranger. I need to pick her up because her mother and father are at the hospital."

"Oh dear. I do hope Mr. and Mrs. Scott are alright."

"They're fine. They're with their sister, who is currently having a baby. But that means they can't come and pick their daughter up. Which is how I got the job."

"I'm sorry, it's against school policy." Brooke stared hard at the other woman and somehow managed not to scream. She was about to begin another line of argument when Winifred walked into the office, dragging her book bag tiredly behind her.

"Hi Aunt Brooke." Her voice was weak and her eyes barely lit when she attempted a smile. A few short hours of school had already exhausted her and Brooke realized that she needed to go home, not stand in the office while the two grownups fought.

"Hey, Fredders. How was school?"

"Okay," the young girl said with a small shrug. "Where's mom?"

"We'll talk about it in the car as soon as this nice lady lets us leave. Everything's fine," Brooke added as an after through. She looked back to make sure Gretchen was still amused before once again approaching the secretary. "What can we do here to work this out?"

"You can call Mr. and Mrs. Scott and tell them that they must pick up their own daughter."

"You don't get the concept of 'otherwise engaged', do you?"

"Mrs. Meyers," Winifred said in her usual polite, kind voice. "Could we please just go? I can get a note from my mom tomorrow. I know she wants me to go home with Aunt Brooke. She never sends someone else unless she has too. It would help us so much if you could let it go this once—"

"Well," the older woman said slowly, obviously crumbling under the child's sweet and honest plea. "I suppose – just this once. And I want to see a note from your mother first thing tomorrow."

"Thank you," Fred said with the best smile she could muster. Brooke looked suspiciously at the little girl but decided to simply go with the bit of luck. Picking up Winifred's book bag and taking Gretchen by the hand, she led the girls out of the office and out to her car. Luckily, the ride home met no other faults and both girls were napping less than five minutes after arriving home. On the unlucky side, the quiet gave Brooke just enough time to panic about Haley and the baby.

They were both still sleeping when Brooke realized that she needed to meet the boys on their way home from school. She shook her head as she scribbled a not to Winifred; she didn't remember the last time she'd had so many things to do at once. She was just on time to meet the three Scott boys at the corner where they would normally split, Jared walking a few feet to his house and the other two continuing on another block. Brooke waved Jared over before he reached his yard and a storm cloud seemed to stop over the little boy; apparently he realized what was going on.

"The baby's coming," he said flatly.

"Yeah," Brooke said uncertainly.

"Where's Mom?" It was Ashton this time that asked the question. Brooke looked down at him and realized that he looked a bit off; his eyes were almost red, as if he had been crying.

"She's with Aunt Haley."

"Could you go with Aunt Haley so mom could come home?" It wasn't meant to be rude, Ashton simply wanted his mother. It had been the worst day his seven year old mind could remember and he wanted his mom; she always knew how to make him feel better.

"I don't know if that'll happen," Brooke said uneasily.

"He's just being a baby," Ryan snapped, running into the house before anyone could yell at him for the uncalled for comment.

"I am not," Ashton muttered, dragging his feet as they continued down the sidewalk.

"Is there something wrong, Ash?"

"No." He too disappeared before anything more could be set. Jared, still sulking about the baby news, walked into the house before Brooke and went straight into the computer room. All three boys were moping in their own corner of the house before Brooke was even in the door. She figured it was pretty inevitable; they had broody genes on both sides of the family. With all three boys not talking to her and both girls still sleeping, Brooke took the opportunity to call the hospital and find out how things were going with Haley.

* * *

The chapter titles comes from this Italian Proverb:

Little children, headache; big children, heartache.


	22. They Just Are

Thanks to Lysser8312, Jessica S, Lauren, LadyPiper1, tardychick06, and Rouella for reviewing. I really appreciate it! It not only gives me a sometimes-needed incentive to keep writing, but it also makes me happy to write more, knowing someone else is enjoying the story:-) Thanks again to everyone who had reviewed! Here's the next chapter, hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 22 They Just Are

After Haley got through a particularly long contraction, Karen quietly excused herself to go and look for the Scott brothers. If they were hiding to avoid seeing Haley in pain, she was going to let them know what pain really was. It wasn't the time for her boys to be acting like children. Once Karen left, it was only Peyton in the room with a very crabby and annoyed Haley. The nurse had checked on her half an hour prior and they hadn't seen anyone from the hospital since. Peyton was sitting in a chair next to the bed, sketching away while listening to Haley rant about Nathan and the hospital personnel. Both were annoying the woman in labor.

"Nathan should be here," Haley said in an almost-whine.

"He will be," Peyton answered almost automatically.

"What if something happened to him?" It was the first time such a thought had crossed Haley's mind and immediately she began to panic. Peyton put her project aside and moved to sit next to Haley. She pulled her friend close and held her tightly, immediately calming her fears.

"You're being silly. Nathan's fine. You know that."

"I know," Haley said softly, not at all as certain as she claimed to be. She hugged Peyton back and offered a small smile, trying to assure her friend that she was fine. Before either girl had a chance to worry any more about Nathan, another contraction began. Haley let out a small yelp in surprise but then started breathing methodically, the only sign of strain being her eyes squeezed closed and her hands clenched on the blankets. Peyton remained silent, knowing she couldn't help; Haley was the independent type. After Jared's birth, they all joked that she could have done it without any help at all; and they were probably right. Peyton, on the other hand, exacted revenge on Lucas during the birth of all four children. His hand had never quite been the same after Gretchen was born.

The door to the room opened in tandem with the end of Haley's contraction. She let out a cry louder than any that had been heard so far during labor; Nathan had arrived. He immediately hugged her and started shooting off apologies and explanations, all of which she ignored. She didn't care where he had been, only that he was there. Peyton crept out of the room quietly, slipping out the door and joining Lucas in the hallway.

"Where'd you find him?"

"Two miles from the gym. The idiot ran out of gas and was walking back to use the phone. And his cell phone was dead."

"Things like that happen just when they shouldn't."

"Yeah, they sure do." His gaze fell on his wife and he actually looked at her for the first time all day; she looked exhausted. He reached over and gently swept a curl away from her face. "Hey, how are you holding up?"

"I'm not the one in labor."

"No, but you're the one taking care of everything. As usual."

"No, I'm just doing what needs to be done. You'd do the same." She stepped into his embrace and hugged him, letting herself off guard for the first time all day.

"I wouldn't look nearly as stunning doing it," he whispered into her ear.

"Why Mr. Scott, you're trying to seduce me," she said with a tired smile.

"I may have to postpone my intentions until my wife isn't dead on her feet."

"I'm fine."

"You're far from it. Let's go get something to eat."

"Hales—"

"Will be fine with Nathan and Mom. Come on, I bet you haven't eaten since breakfast." He put his arm around her shoulder and led her down the corridor toward the nearest exit. They met Karen on the way and promised they would be back soon and then headed to a nearby dinner. It wasn't the best food, but it was better than what the hospital had to offer. Lucas was through eating his dinner and halfway through convincing Peyton to eat hers when his cell phone rang. He had turned it on after they'd left the hospital but he hadn't actually expected it to ring. Few people had the number and Peyton was the only person who called the number with any regularity. He saw the screen was flashing their home number and picked up quickly.

"Hello?

"Dad?"

"Hey Ash, what's going on, buddy?"

"How come you didn't answer before?" Lucas could tell that his son's voice was strained. The little boy had apparently been crying not long before.

"Your mom and I were at the hospital with Aunt Haley. She and Uncle Nathan are having their new baby today. What's up?

"When are you and mom coming home?"

"Is something wrong?" Peyton was worried long before Lucas posed that question but now she looked about ready to jump up and go straight home. Lucas took her hand in his free one, signaling for her not to overreact. He looked away from her, trying to concentrate on what their son was saying.

"It was just a bad day," Ashton said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. You can always call me. I'm sorry we're not home but Aunt Haley needs us. Can you talk to your Aunt Brooke until we get home?"

"It's okay," Ashton said, avoiding the question. Lucas knew that he would never talk to Brooke about anything important; she was a girl who wasn't his mother—that just did not pass muster in the world of a little boy.

"Why wasn't it a good day?"

"It was fine," Ashton said stubbornly, his shell quickly covering the vulnerable voice Lucas had heard at the beginning of their conversation.

"We'll be home soon, buddy. Don't worry too much. I love you."

"Love you too. And mom," he added before hanging up the phone slowly.

"What's going on?" Peyton's question came before Lucas even had the chance to turn off the phone.

"I don't know," he admitted as he put his phone back into his pocket. "Ashton sounds like he was crying. I think he's just upset about something."

"I want to go home," Peyton said immediately, standing up and picking up her purse before Lucas could completely comprehend what she'd said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just drop me off and go back to Hales. She'll understand."

"I'm sure she will," Lucas agreed as he stood up and grabbed Peyton's hand. They paid the bill, got into the car, and arrived home in record time. It was a surprise to Brooke, who was sitting in the living room braiding Fred's hair and watching some old black and white horror movie.

"What is it?" Fred asked excitedly as soon as she saw her parents.

"The baby isn't here yet," Peyton said quickly, handing her coat to Lucas and dropping her bag beside the living room sofa.

"Is everything alright?" Brooke asked suspiciously.

"Yeah," Peyton assured her quickly. "I was just feeling a little tired. So Luke is just dropping me off. You can go home. Or to the hospital, if you want."

"I think I'll stick around for a while. Are you sure everything is okay?"

"I think so. Ashton called us. Where is he?"

"He was sleeping last time I checked," Brooke said with a note of confusion. "He called?"

"Yeah," Peyton answered. "We'll be fine," she said as she turned back to Lucas. "Go back to Hales."

"I'm just going to say goodnight to the kids," he said before heading into the hallway and up the stairs.

"I'm sorry, Peyton. I didn't know he was still awake, let alone making phone calls—"

"It's alright," Peyton assured her. "Where are the other boys?"

"Playing some videogame down in the game room."

"Okay. How are you doing?" Peyton posed the question to Fred, who was looking as pale as usual. She knelt down on the living room carpet and kissed her daughter's forehead, happy to note that for the first time in quite a while, the little girl seemed free of fever.

"Good," she answered with the perkiest smile she could muster.

"How was school?"

"It was okay. I sort of miss seeing Lauren. She's not in any of my classes since they changed."

"I'm sorry, Fred. Maybe you could invite her over on the weekend."

"Okay," Fred answered happily. Peyton stood back up and kissed Lucas, who had returned after saying goodnight to the other kids. He began talking to Winifred as Peyton made her way up the stairs to Aston's bedroom. She knocked softly and then opened the door after receiving no answer. The little boy, pitifully attempting to pretend he was asleep, opened his eyes the tiniest bit to see who had entered.

"Hey Ash," she whispered softly. No response. "I know you're awake." Ashton sat up and looked at his mother in the tiny bit of light that seeped in from the hall.

"Did Aunt Haley have her baby?"

"Not yet," Peyton answered as she closed the door and moved to sit on the edge of the little boy's bed. She switched on the bedside lamp so that they could see one another. Ashton's expression was one of surprise and guilt. He knew that his mom didn't leave them for anything that wasn't important and he hadn't wanted to pull her away from Aunt Haley. "did something happen at school today?"

'"It's not really important," Ashton said quietly.

"Of course it is," she said as she reached over and tilted his chin back up so that he was looking at her, not at the navy comforter. "What happened?"

"Mrs. Leer made me sit in the hall all day," he said sadly.

"Why?"

"I don't know." Ashton's voice was soft and his eyes were welling with tears; he truly did not understand.

"Did she say anything when she asked you to go out there?"

"She put my desk out in the hall right after reading. She said I couldn't be in the class because I already knew what they were doing."

"Do you think you maybe showed-off a little during reading?"

"I didn't try to," Ashton said desperately. " I just answer when it's my turn. I'm not allowed to raise my hand anymore. 'Cause other people need turns." Peyton buried her immediate anger and ordered herself to remain calm; flipping out wouldn't help the little boy stop worrying.

"What did you do in the hallway?"

"Worked on the 6th grade books."

"Did you understand them?"

"Most of the stuff," Aston admitted miserably.

"Would you rather have been in class?"

"I didn't want to be alone," Ashton answered dejectedly. "It's not fair that I didn't get to be with everyone else. I missed music class."

"No, it's not fair," Peyton answered as she pulled the little boy into a reassuring hug. "I'll talk to Mrs. Leer."

"She'll be mad."

"Don't worry about her. It's not a bad thing to be smart, kiddo. You don't have to be sorry about it. And you don't have to miss out because of it."

"Okay."

"Are you sure?" Peyton asked as she gently wiped away his tears with the edge of her sweater. He nodded but she could see that he was still upset. She pulled him into her lap so they were eye-to-eye. Looking into his innocent, watery blue eyes, she posed a fairly serious question. "Do you like your class this year?"

"Not really," he admitted after a few minutes of pondering the question. "The kids aren't so nice. They say they won't play with me anymore because I suck-up."

"Why do you think they say that?"

"Mrs. Leer gives me all 100s. But I don't suck up," Ashton assured her. "I don't even like Mrs. Leer so much. And I don't think she likes me."

"I'm sure that's not true," Peyton tried to assure him. She paused for a few minutes, trying to decide what to do. One thing she knew for sure. She couldn't send him back to school until she spoke with his teacher and found out exactly what was going on.

"How would you feel about staying home with me tomorrow?"

"Am I in trouble?"

"No," Peyton assured him.

"I'd like that," Ashton said, his mouth almost making a complete smile.

"Me too," Peyton said with a wide smile. "Now no more worries, okay?"

"Okay," he promised, a bit more energetically this time. Peyton pulled the covers up around him and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Goodnight, Love."

"G'night mama. Love you." Peyton left the room and went over to Gretchen's room where she checked to make sure the little girl was sleeping. She was, looking angelical with her blond curls shining in the moonlight. Looking at her watch, Peyton decided that she might as well go back to the hospital; she wasn't going to get any sleep until she knew Haley and the baby were all right. First, she would check on the other boys. Going down to the basement, she peaked in on Ryan and Jared, who were playing a basketball game on the play station.

"Hey guys. Twenty more minutes and you need to get ready for bed."

"Mom," Ryan whined.

"Ryan," Peyton returned in a warning tone. "You two need to be in bed by ten. School tomorrow."

"Where are you going?" His question was accusing, his attitude startling and angering Peyton.

"Watch it," she warned him. "I don't like that tone. I'm going back to the hospital to be with Aunt Haley."

"She already has a mom," Ryan yelled angrily, throwing the controller into the television and stamping past his mother and up the stairs. Jared silently began to clean up the game while avoiding his aunt's confused gaze. Peyton looked after Ryan, not at all sure what had happened.

* * *

The title of this chapter comes from the following quote:

"Family is just accident.... They don't mean to get on your nerves. They don't even mean to be your family, they just are." Marsha Norman


	23. A Nice Way to Start

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! This chapter is a little short and focused primarily on Lucas and Peyton. I promise that the next chapter will deal a lot more with Haley, Nathan, the new baby, and Brooke. Hope you enjoy this one!

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Chapter 23 A Nice Way to Start

Megan Lydia Scott was born at two in the morning and welcomed by a room full of family. The tiny four-pound baby was greeted first by her mother and father and then by three exuberant grand parents. Jimmy and Lydia James had started driving toward Tree Hill as soon as they had gotten the call that their daughter was in labor. Breaking speed limits and laws of all kinds, they arrived just in time to meet their newest granddaughter.

"She's just beautiful," Karen cooed as she stood next to the new mother and child.

"You're biased," Haley said with a tired smile.

"That child is gorgeous. And I take half credit," Lydia said with a silly grin. "We give good genes."

"I'd say so," Jimmy agreed as he put his arm around his wife and looked down at his youngest daughter. He still couldn't believe that his baby girl was having a baby girl of her own. Her second child to boot; he just didn't feel old enough for that to be possible.

"Well, biased or not, she's the prettiest baby in the hall," Lucas said sincerely.

"He knows," Peyton added. "He walked up and down, peaking in every room. I had to beg security not to throw him out." They all laughed and were surprised when Haley burst into tears. She was shaking her head, crying apologies as she tries to juggle the baby and wiping away her tears. Nathan quickly took Megan and passed her to Lydia, who settled her into the bassinet. It had been a long day and Haley was exhausted; extensive visiting time would have to wait.

Karen, Jimmy, and Lucas all bid the parents goodnight from a distance and exited the room. Peyton hugged Haley and told her to get some rest, leaving the three generations of James women to share in some much-needed alone time. She walked out of the room and practically fell into Lucas's arms,

"Take me home, Mr. Scott."

"My pleasure, Mrs. Scott." He kissed her and put his arm around her as they walked out to her car; his could stay in the parking lot overnight. Once inside the car, Lucas started asking about the kids.

"We haven't had time to talk. What happened with Ashton?"

"Oh Lucas, I don't know—I don't like the sound of it. I'm keeping him home tomorrow."

"Is that for him? Or you?"

"A little of both," Peyton admitted. She rubbed her hands tiredly over her eyes and sighed. "I really don't want him going back until we talk to this teacher. I think something's not right."

"Okay," Lucas consented. "I'll call tomorrow and set up a meeting for tomorrow afternoon. Do you think you can get a sitter?"

"I'll call Jenny before she leaves for school in the morning."

"Try not to worry until then. It's probably nothing," Lucas said as they pulled into the driveway.

"I hope you're right," she answered with a tired smile. Walking slowly and tiredly into the house, they almost forgot about Brooke until they saw her, sprawled on the living room sofa. Peyton sat on the edge of the sofa and shook her gently, whispering her name.

"Brooke. Brooke, we're home. It's a girl."

"How's tutor-wife?" She asked, her voice still hoarse from sleep.

"She's fine. A little exhausted."

"But that's going around today," Lucas commented from the doorway.

"Come on," Peyton said to her friend. "Lucas will take you home."

"That's okay. I'll drive."

"You sure?" Lucas asked with a yawn.

"Yep. I'm awake," she said as she jumped up and stretched, attempting to display her awake-ness. "Hey," she said, as though just remembering, "what's your new goddaughter's name?"

"Our niece's name is Megan Lydia. And Hales didn't ask us to be godparents."

"Maybe she's asking one of her sisters."

"Not likely," Lucas answered with a snort. He knew her sisters, and it wasn't likely.

"Oh well, a mystery then," Brooke said with a yawn. "Jake and I are going to see them tomorrow; he's off."

"Well, send Hales our love. Tomorrow looks like it's going to be a busy one."

"Will do. G'night."

"Good night Brooke. Be careful," Peyton called after her. She and Lucas looked in on the five kids one more time before exhaustedly falling into bed.

The following morning, Peyton had no desire to get out of bed; four hours of sleep was a joke after the day she'd had. Nevertheless, she got up with Lucas at six and started preparing for the day. It flew by quickly, mostly as a result of the fun she, Ashton, and Gretchen were having. She'd almost forgotten how much she loved having her little boy home. As much as she loved Ryan, Ashton was far more sensitive and playful. His company was much easier to enjoy. Before she knew it, three o'clock was rolling around and Jenny was arriving straight from school.

"Hey," she said nonchalantly as she threw her book bag beside the sofa.

"Hi Jen. How are you?"

"It wasn't a great day," she answered truthfully.

"We'll talk when I get back. I have to run now," Peyton said apologetically. She hugged the young girl quickly and grabbed her purse. "Gretchen and Fred are both taking naps and Ashton is playing a game downstairs. Ryan and Jared should be home any minute. Thanks for watching them, Jen."

"Anytime," Jenny said. It was the natural order of things; she was much older than most of her cousins, she naturally fell into the available babysitter category; especially since he dad wouldn't allow her to get a part time job while she was in school. Peyton hurried out of the house and started walking down the street; the school was close and she was in the mood for a bit of alone time. When she arrived at the school, three minutes shy of the meeting time, Lucas was waiting for her outside the building. He looked quite young, sitting on the cement steps with his tie loosened and his hair mussed from an entire day of fusing with it. Standing as soon as he spotted her, he took her hand and they walked into the building and toward the second grade classroom.

Mrs. Leer was waiting for them but did not look particularly pleased when she coldly welcomed them into the classroom and offered them seats. She sat behind her desk, her hands folded primly over what looked to be her grade book.

"You probably know why we're here," Peyton began, not sure what else they could start with.

"Not really," the other woman said, her tone not sitting well with either parent.

"Well," Lucas cut in, not wanting Peyton to lose her temper, "Ashton seems to be having problems in class. He mentioned that he sat in the hall all day yesterday."

"We were actually wondering if you could explain that," Peyton interjected.

"Ah, yes. Well, Ashton is far ahead of the other children, as you know. I didn't want to bore him with things below his aptitude."

"You can't separate a little boy like that," Peyton argued. "It alienates him from kids his own age. He may be a little bit ahead, but that doesn't mean he wants to be left out of things. When you treat him differently, the other kids do too."

"Mrs. Scott, I don't believe you understand the breadth of Ashton's intelligence. He is not simply 'a little bit' above the class level. He understand and remembers concepts that aren't covered until high school."

"But he's still a little boy."

"A little boy that I am unable to accommodate in my classroom. I felt that was explained in my letter."

"And we sent our answer," Peyton said, her tone rising a bit in anger, "Ashton is not to be moved up. He's too young. Maybe when he's older—"

"There's nothing for him in this classroom, Mrs. Scott. And it interferes with the other children. How do you think they feel when one of their classmates has all of the answers? It's discouraging to them. They feel that they need to be at his level and that would be impossible."

"How do you think Ashton feels, being punished for his intelligence?"

"He's not being punished. But he simply cannot participate in the general lessons. It's not fair to the class."

"How would the principal feel?" Lucas asked, somewhat threateningly. The woman simply looked at him calmly and answered,

"I've already spoken at length to Mr. Caldwell. He has already offered you the only solution we could agree upon," she said pointedly.

"And we're not willing to have Ashton in classes with kids three and four years older."

"Then I see no other solution."

"I'm sure we'll find one," Peyton said evenly. "Ashton won't be returning to your class." With that, she stood up and walked quickly out of the room, not even waiting for Lucas to follow.. He caught up with her at the front door and stopped her, catching her wrist and pulling her aside.

"Peyton, what are you doing?"

"Lucas, we can send him back there!"

"It's the only elementary school in the district."

"There are private schools."

"Do you think that's really going to solve this?"

"I don't know," Peyton answered with a defeated sigh. "But I am not bringing him back here. It's ridiculous. He's intelligent, not a leper. The other kids won't even talk to him anymore. It's that teacher. She made too much of a deal out of him. He had no problems the past two years."

"I think she's a little intimidated by him."

"That gives her no right—"

"I agree," he interrupted before she could vent any further. "I'm not the enemy here—"

"I know," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Let's just go home. We'll figure this out." Peyton nodded and took his arm, walking with him back to his car, which he had driven over from the high school. "Did you talk to Hales today?"

"Only for a minute," Peyton replied. "Lydia and Karen were with her all day. And Brooke stopped by for a while, so she didn't need any more distractions."

"I doubt she thinks of you as a distraction."

"Lucas, I'm not be self-depreciating or whatever you're thinking right now. I was just telling you why she couldn't talk for long."

"Sorry. You just seem a little out of it."

"It's been a long week. Hell, it's been a long year," Peyton said with a dry laugh.

"It has been," he answered back calmly.

* * *

The title of this chapter comes from this quote:

Babies are such a nice way to start people. Don Herrold


	24. Promises to Keep

Thanks for the reviews, they are really appreciated! Sorry the update took a little longer than usual. Here's the next chapter, please let me know what you think!

* * *

Chapter 24 Promises to Keep

After dinner that night, Peyton decided to go and visit Haley and Megan. Winifred and Jenny went with her since they were old enough to be allowed into the hospital for visiting hours. Gretchen was less than pleased when her mother left without her but she calmed down relatively quickly after Lucas started giving her chocolate chip cookies. Once she was seemingly happy, he carried her into the downstairs playroom and put her down next to the couch where Ashton was sitting, reading _Superfudge_. "Keep an eye on your sister, okay buddy?"

"Okay," Ashton answered absently, barely looking over at the smiling baby. She happily grabbed at a toy that had been sitting on the floor and began banging it against the sofa legs, making a noise that apparently pleased her because she started to giggle. Lucas grinned, shook his head, and started back up the stairs to Ryan's room. He wanted to talk to his son before Peyton returned. He gathered that the little boy was not terribly happy with his mother but that was no excuse for him to upset the already agitated woman. He knocked on his son's door but was not terribly surprised to receive absolutely no answer. Opening the door slowly, he peaked inside to find Ryan sitting at his desk with his headphones on, listening to something with an extremely loud bass and sketching at something with hard, angry strokes. Lucas recognized that type of drawing all too well. He entered the room and pulled the headphones off his son's ears, gaining immediate disproval from the grumpy and brooding nine year old.

"I knocked," Lucas defended himself immediately. Ryan shrugged and turned off the personal CD player.

"Didn't hear," Ryan answered shortly.

"I noticed. Is something wrong?"

"No. I'm just drawing."

"Is your homework done?"

"Yeah." The conversation was going nowhere and Lucas was too tired to participate in any creative parenting.

"You yelled at your mom yesterday. What's with that?"

"I was angry."

"That much she got," Lucas answered wryly. "What's up?'

"I don't want to talk about it."

"That's too bad," Lucas answered coolly, "because I do. Your mom works really hard to do everything she can for you guys. She doesn't deserve your attitude."

"She never has time anymore."

"We're all busy, Ry. With Fred being sick and Ashton having trouble at school-"

"It's like I might as well not exist," Ryan answered angrily.

"That's not true," Lucas insisted. "Your mom loves you. And she gives you every minute she can."

"Whatever," Ryan answered sullenly. He pulled the headphones back on and Lucas exited the room, deciding that the battle wasn't quite worth it at the moment. He was too tired to argue further.

Meanwhile, Peyton, Winifred, and Jenny were headed to the hospital. Jenny sighed as Peyton pulled her green SUV in next to Brooke's red one. "Be nice," Peyton warned her as she turned the ignition off and opened her door.

Brooke and Jake were already in Haley's hospital room, talking to the mother and cooing at the newborn baby. Jake looked happy as ever holding the tiny little girl and it reminded Peyton immediately of Jenny; Jake had never been happier than he was when she was a baby. Brooke was looking over his shoulder and occasionally stroking Megan's soft little hands.

"This kid is going to be way too popular," Haley said with a laugh as she saw the three girls standing in the doorway.

"Well, look at who her mother is," Peyton said with a smile. "People won't hold her paternity against her."

"Thanks," Nathan said sarcastically from the corner.

"Well, it's getting sort of crowded in here," Jake said. "Jen, why don't you hold Megs for a minute and then we'll go?"

"Can't I just stay with Aunt Peyton?"

"Jen," Peyton said warningly. "Maybe your dad and Brooke would like to see you for a little while. I've been monopolizing your time all day." The young girl glared back at her aunt but then went along, only getting to hold the new baby for a few minutes before Jake and Brooke decided to leave. Once they were gone, Nathan let Winifred hold the baby and then put her back into her basinet.

"I'll take her back to the nursery for the night," Nathan offered.

"Okay," Haley agreed with a thankful smile. She leaned over to gently kiss the baby and then watched as Nathan covered her with a tiny blanket and started to push the basinet toward the door.

"You want to come Fred?"

"Go ahead," Peyton said after her daughter looked at her for consent. They left Peyton and Haley alone and immediately the façades fell from the faces of the two exhausted women.

"I love my children. But I'm never doing that again," Haley swore.

"You said that the last time," Peyton reminded her gently.

"This time I mean it. Babies are hard work."

"They're worth it," Peyton said as she scooted next to Haley on the bed.

"What's going on with you?"

"Nothing important."

"You'd say that if your head were on fire."

"It's not," Peyton said with a yawn as she tugged on a blond curl.

"Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something," Haley said out of nowhere.

"We are talking."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do," Peyton consented. "So shoot."

"I asked Brooke and Jake to be Megan's godparents."

"That's cool," Peyton answered evenly.

"I don't want you to get upset. I normally would have asked you—"

"Megan is already my niece. And my best friend's daughter. Brooke needs this. And I'm glad you had enough faith to offer it to her."

"I do," Haley answered softly. "I really feel like she's turned a corner. I trust her again. I just need her to believe that."

"Well, it's a good start. And don't worry about Lucas and me. We have five kids of our own and Jared as a godson. That's about enough."

"Five?"

"What?"

"You said five."

"I have four kids," Peyton said as calmly as possible.

"I know how many you have," Haley answered suspiciously. "So what's with the miscount?"

"I was going to wait, but I might as well tell you. We're having another baby."

"Peyton! That's great! How far are you? Who have you told?"

"I'm only three months and we haven't told anyone. So I'd appreciate it if you could keep it quiet."

"Of course. I'm so happy for you."

"Yeah. Me too," Peyton answered with a small smile. Haley could tell from Peyton's reluctant smile that something was bothering her sister in law. Unfortunately, she did not currently possess enough energy to drag the truth out of the secretive blond and so she allowed the subject to drop.

* * *

The title comes from Robert Frosts poem "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening." 


	25. No Place Like Home

So sorry this is taking so long! I have a ton of work at school and I've been working longer hours than usual at my two jobs… so, it might be a little longer between updates. Also, this one is short. But I wanted to post something, so I hope this is partially worth the wait. Hope everyone has a great week!

* * *

Chapter 25 There's No Place Like Home

Four days after Megan was born, Haley was preparing herself to leave the hospital. Since Nathan has already missed so many practices to be with her, she insisted that he go back to the team. That left Peyton with the job of escorting her sister-in-law and niece home from the hospital. Haley was in the small bathroom curling her hair when an unexpected knock sounded on the door. Opening it, she tried not to grimace as she beheld her in-laws. Two generations of irritating in-laws. Certainly, May was a nice woman in her own right. But the rest of them, Haley would leave in a second.

"Hi," she said uncertainly.

"Should you be out of bed dear? I heard it was a difficult pregnancy," May said kindly.

"I'm okay now," Haley said, attempting not to roll her eyes. "What are you guys doing here? Nathan told you we would bring the baby over—"

"Oh, we couldn't wait," Deb gushed as she simply brushed past Haley and into the room.

"She's sleeping," Haley tried to say before the woman reached the bassinet. It was too late. The crying began as soon as Deb slightly jarred the baby's bed. Haley muffled a cry as she walked over to the bassinet and picked up the tiny, fussy baby. She was so tired, even after the prolonged stay at the hospital, and it already was evident that Megan was not going to be an easy child.

"You're codling her," Dan said immediately. "If you pick her up every time she cries, she'll never learn."

"She's six days old," Haley hissed, angrily glaring at her father-in-law.

"Dan, apologize."

"Do you want our granddaughter to be a wimp?"

"That's it!" Haley's firm proclamation brought silence to the little room. "Get out," she roared purposefully. "Out," she said again when they didn't start moving. Deb and May both looked ready to cry but Haley didn't quite care; she was not in the mood for visitors. Peyton was walking up the corridor, Gretchen in hand, just as the Scotts were being chased from Haley's room.

"Hello, Peyton dear," May said shakily.

"Peyton."

"Mr. Scott." She and Dan spoke as little as possible ever since the chaotic dinner and that suited her perfectly.

"Hello Gretchen," Deb said as she stooped down to the toddler's level. Gretchen smiled politely but clutched her mother's hand as she buried herself under Peyton's long jersey skirt.

"We should get going," Peyton said abruptly, picking Gretchen up and carrying her into Haley's room.

"You should be carrying her," Haley said as soon as she saw the mother and daughter.

"I had to keep her safe from the vultures outside your door," Peyton joked as she set Gretchen down on the bed. The little girl stood up and looked into the baby bassinet where Megan was once more sleeping.

"Baby," she said, as clear as day. Peyton's eyes grew wide as she stared at her daughter.

"What did you say?" Peyton asked with a laugh in her voice.

"Aunt Haley baby," Gretchen said excitedly. She continued to giggle as her mom sat down next to her, hugged her, and then plastered her with kisses. "Silly," she commented.

"All this time, you could talk," Peyton accused. There was no other possibility. The little girl's words were perfectly formed and presented. She had been paying attention all along, not willing to talk until she was certain of herself. "Since when do you talk?"

"Now, mama," Gretchen said with glee, clapping her hands. Haley was also smiling, laughing at the adorable mother-daughter duo. Although Peyton loved all of her children, she had a special place in her heart reserved for the baby that almost wasn't. Gretchen's had been a difficult pregnancy and delivery.

"You are just too smart," Haley told her gleeful niece.

"Da-da smart," Gretchen said before breaking into another grin.

"Well, apparently he has them all trained to complement him," Peyton teased. "Hey," she said, suddenly remembering the scene she had entered into. "What happened with the in-laws?"

"It's not important," Haley said with a shake of her head. "Let's get out of here!'

"Your wish is our command. Come on." Peyton picked up one of the lighter bags and held onto Gretchen's hand while Haley took her own purse and the baby carrier. The procession to the car was a slow one but they finally made it and soon after arrived at the Nathan Scott residence.

* * *

Sorry again that this was short – I plan to put up the next part asap. Also, the chapter quote is from the beloved "Wizard of Oz." 


	26. A Fragile Soul

Hi everyone! Sorry this update took longer. I've been really busy with work and school and the like. It's getting down to the wire… two months until graduation. So that also means stepping up the plans for grad school… so, I'm sorry it took long. But it's here:-) and it's a little longer – I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think – the story is beginning to move in a new direction. I want to add more of the other characters, but I think I may need a separate story to accomplish that – this story is very Peyton/Lucas centric. Again, I'll stop babbling, enjoy!

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Chapter 26 A Fragile Soul

Peyton waved as she watched Winifred walk up to the school and then sat back in the seat of her car to collect her thoughts. Her baby girl was so brave; she didn't think she could have withstood the same obstacles when she was Winifred's age. The thirteen year old was going to school today for the first time in two weeks and if it had been Peyton, she would have been nervous. A lot could happen in two weeks of middle school. Despite the fact that she was finishing work ahead of schedule with the help of her parents and Aunt Haley, the young girl was determined to actually go to class as much as possible. Ashton was also back in school, attending his second grade year with other second graders and with a teacher who seemed to understand how to keep him interested in class. The private school was a bit more expensive than they would have liked, but neither parent had been willing to send their little boy back to the public school. After stopping at the grocery store, Peyton barely walked in the door before the telephone rang.

"Hello?"

"May I speak to Mrs. Scott, please?"

"This is she," Peyton said as she tried not to sigh. It always sounded strange to hear herself refereed to as Mrs. Scott. When a first name was attached to it, such as Mrs. Lucas Scott and Peyton Scott, she could deal with it. But plain old Mrs. Scott made her feel that Deb or May would pop out at any time.

"This is Nurse Wheeler from Tree Hill elementary—"

"Is everything alright?"

"Well, Ryan is sitting here with me, he seems fine, but he says he has a stomachache. His temperature is just fine and he hasn't been nauseous, but he insisted I call you—"

"I'll be right there," Peyton interrupted. Her kids had never lied to her before; she didn't imagine they would start now. If Ryan wanted to come home, he most likely had a good reason. Peyton just hoped it wasn't because he forgot to study for his German test. "Come on baby girl," she said as she hoisted Gretchen onto her hip. "It looks like it's going to be one of those days." Gretchen grinned at her mother, indicating that she had no problem with an interesting day. Nothing usually bothered her as long as she knew where her parents happened to be.

Ryan was sitting in a hard plastic chair in the nurse's office with a perturbed looking older woman; Peyton assumed her to be Nurse Wheeler. "Let's go, Ry," Peyton said kindly, her hand outstretched to her son. He took her hand gratefully and picked up his book bag with the other, following her out of the office.

"Mrs. Scott!"

"Yes?" Peyton whirled around on her heel, looking at the woman with an expression of distaste. The name Scott gave her the status and privilege of not having her time wasted very often; this woman was wasting her time.

"You can't just take him."

"Actually, I can. He's my son," Peyton said with an amused disbelief.

"You have to sign him out at the office," the nurse said, pointing to the office door. Peyton muttered under her breath but did drag both of her children into the office and take the ten minutes to explain to the noisy secretary and baffled principle that she was taking her son home.

"He doesn't look sick," the secretary said skeptically.

"He doesn't feel well. I'm taking him home. Where do I sign?" Thirty minutes after she initially received the call, Peyton had Ryan in the SUV, ready to take home.

"Okay, Ryan Nathan Scott. What's going on? You're not sick," Peyton accused nonchalantly.

"You promise not to get mad?"

"I won't be _angry_," Peyton corrected him, "as long as you tell me the truth."

"You can't tell anyone else."

"Okay," Peyton said automatically. They both knew that wasn't how things worked, but she would agree for now. She started the car and began to drive toward their home, telling Ryan to continue his explanation.

"You know Laura?"

"She's been over a few times," Peyton said with a nod. "She seems like a nice girl."

"She is," Ryan agreed. "She's really nice mom. But her parents aren't. And they're not just strict, they're mean. You and dad would never hit Gretchen if she spilled a carton of milk, right?"

"Are you telling me her parents hit her?" Peyton was ready to spit venom at the thought; that little girl had seemed so sweet and fragile. Some people simply weren't fit to be parents.

"Mom, you can't tell anyone—"

"We'll see Ry. How long have you known?"

"I went over to her house after school one of the days Fred was in the hospital. Uncle Jake was watching us, and he said it was all right. Her mom came home early and found us watching TV." Peyton could hear that her son's voice was cracking and that a lump of tears was gathering in his throat. He was too young to understand something like this. Hell, she was too young to understand how people could treat their own child so poorly.

"It's okay, buddy," she said softly as she pulled into the driveway. She parked the car, but sat and waited for Ryan to continue. "What happened?"

"Her mom got real mad and made her go to her room. But Laura didn't get up fast enough, so she pulled her by her hair and threw her in her room. I left right away, but I could hear Laura crying from outside. She always has these marks on her arms, where her dad hits her."

"So what does that have to do with today?"

"She'd not in school, mom. She hasn't missed a day yet, even when she had a cold. What if they did something to her?"

"I'm sure she's fine," Peyton assured her son. She saw his face drop and she sighed. "But I guess it doesn't hurt to check, right?" She pulled back out of the driveway, turning on her phone first and saying "Brooke." The phone rang about five times before a groggy Brooke answered.

"What's up, P. Sawyer-Scott?"

"Still sleeping, Brooke?"

"It's not even close to ten yet. Of course. What do ya need?"

"Can I drop the kids off for a few minutes?"

"Sure. As long as I don't have to change any diapers. What's going on?"

"Hopefully nothing," Peyton said as lightly as possible. "See you in a few."

"Bye-bye," Brooke chirped before they hung up. Peyton looked over at Ryan, who was rolling his eyes at the thought of being watched by Brooke.

"Sorry kid-o. I don't have much of a choice."

"What about Aunt Haley?"

"She has enough to worry about with the new baby. Besides, you won't be with Brooke long. And she'll just let you watch TV, so don't worry about it." Ryan wasn't the problem when it finally came down to the end; Gretchen began to howl when she realized that Peyton meant to leave her with Brooke. Ignoring the maternal urge to go back in the house and scoop up her baby, Peyton got back into her well-traveled SUV and drove the two blocks to Laura's house. She knocked on the door three dozen times, getting louder each time, but to no avail. She walked around the side of the house and realized that there were no cars to be found. She attempted to knock again, this time speaking.

"Laura, its Peyton. Ryan's mom. Are you in there? Open the door sweetie." After a few minutes, Peyton heard the lock on the front door hesitantly turn. The door opened a crack, and Peyton saw Laura's eye peak out before she opened the door completely.

"Hi Mrs. Scott," Laura said softly, her sad eyes cast to the rotting wooden planks of the porch floor.

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The title from this chapter comes from Martina McBride's "Concrete Angel."

"Somebody cries in the middle of the night,

The neighbors hear but they turn out the lights,

A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate,"


	27. Her Saving Grace

Chapter 27 Her Saving Grace

Peyton almost hadn't heard the little girl's soft greeting. "I told you to call me Peyton," she responded kindly after she realized what Laura had said. "Are you alright?" Laura nodded, but Peyton could see that she wasn't. Her hair looked like it hadn't been washed in days, her face was covered in bruises, and she was holding herself strangely.

"I'm not allowed to let you in," Laura said meekly.

"That's okay," Peyton answered. "I can stay out here. I just wanted to talk." She sat down on the porch, just in front of the door, and pulled her knees up to her chest. Laura sat down on the inside of the door, looking out curiously at the older woman. "Is your mom home today?" Laura shook her head. "What about your dad?" Another no. "No school today?"

"I don't feel so great," Laura answered in a whisper.

"I can see that," Peyton agreed. "What hurts?" She could tell that Laura was scared about more than just getting into trouble again.

"My side hurts really bad," Laura admitted, her hand resting near her ribcage. "Is it supposed to ever hurt so bad?"

"No," Peyton answered gently, with a shake of her head. "Can I see?" After thinking about it for a minute, Laura opened the screen door and practically crawled out onto the porch next to Peyton. She gently lifted her nightshirt so that Peyton could see the black, jagged bruises. There were definitely broken ribs in there, Peyton realized. Laura cringed at the slightest touch. "I think you need to see a doctor," she observed gently. Immediately Laura shook her head, her eyes wide with terror.

"I can't leave."

"I have a friend who's a doctor. I can have you back here before lunch. And I think he can make you feel better." Laura looked skeptical, so Peyton leaned over and hugged her gently. "I'm not going to let them hurt you again. It's not right. And it's not going to happen again. Do you want to get dressed first?" Laura nodded and stood carefully, obviously in pain. Peyton waited on the porch until Laura hobbled back ten minutes later dressed in jeans and a pink t-shirt. Having put in a call to Jake while the little girl was getting dressed, Peyton found him waiting for their arrival.

"Hey Peyton," he said calmly when he saw his friend shepherding in a small, terrified little girl. "You must be Laura," he said as he crouched to her level and offered a smile. She nodded shyly, looking at Peyton.

"This is my friend Jake," Peyton told her. "He's a doctor during the week. And a pretty good musician on the weekends," she added with mock-emphasis. They walked into one of the exam rooms set up for children which cheerful colors and the instruments hidden under creative, harmless looking objects. With Jake's help, Peyton carefully lifted Laura up onto the exam table. After a quick look at her ribs, Jake turned to Peyton.

"You probably should have taken her to the emergency room," he whispered.

"I pretty much thought I would have gotten arrested for kidnapping on the spot," Peyton returned quietly. He immediately understood the predicament. He was able to help with the ribs and a couple of old scratches and bruises. Everything was documented both by Jake and a non-invasive nurse who stayed in the room the entire time. After they were all done, Jake asked Laura if they could take pictures. She wasn't sure it was a good idea, but eventually relented.

"What are you going to do with her?" Jake asked after the nurse took Laura to find a lollypop.

"I can't take her back to that house," Peyton insisted.

"Have you called Lucas?"

"No," she replied, her tone indicating his insanity, "he's at work."

"I think he'd want to be involved." Jake turned towards her with a goofy, questioning expression. "Is this what you do with your days? I thought stay-at-home moms were supposed to; I don't know—stay at home!"

"I am not a stay at home mom," Peyton hissed, then looked a bit embarrassed. "Okay, so I am. But that term just makes it sound like I do nothing. I make more money than Lucas, for goodness sake!"

"Hey, I didn't want to get into money matters. I was just wondering how often you do the Nancy Drew thing," Jake said with an amused chuckle.

"Only when my children ask me to," she returned haughtily. "Now what am I going to do?"

"Go home and call the police," Jake said, his expression returning to one of seriousness. "Get Lucas home first. I'll be over with this file. Have Ryan there too. They might be interested to know why you were snooping around in the first place."

"The police?"

"It's the only way I can think to keep her out of that house."

"I should talk to her first," Peyton said absentmindedly. She gathered up the little girl and the pills Jake had prescribed and filled and then took her back to the Scott home. Surprisingly, the little girl didn't argue much with Peyton's plan to tell the authorities about her parents.

"We have to call the police. You need to tell them what's been going on with your mom and dad."

"They'll take me away," she answered softly. Peyton nodded sadly, taking Laura's hands in hers.

"Probably. But it's for your own good. You can't let them hurt you anymore."

"Okay," she whispered softly, "Do we have to go to the police station?"

"No," Peyton assured her. "We can stay here." She convinced the little girl to take a nap and thanks to the medicine Jake had given her for the pain, she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes. Pulling the door gently closed, she went into the den where she called her husband and attempted to explain the craziness of her morning. He promised to be home as soon as he could get away. She then called Brooke and asked her to drop off Ryan and then pick up the other kids from school. It was almost two thirty in the afternoon when she, Lucas, Ryan, Laura, and Jake were seated around the living room, nervously waiting for the police officer to arrive.

Lucas answered the door to find Officer Vegas, his old classmate and teammate, at the door with his partner.

"Hey Luke," Jim said easily, reaching out to shake his old pal's hand.

"Vegas," Lucas greeted him with a nod. "I didn't know you worked for the township."

"Just transferred back," he said with a laugh. "Teresa and I were in Charlotte for the past few years. We got a call from this address, but it was a woman."

"My wife," Lucas said as he stepped aside to allow them both in. He pointed to the framed portrait that dominated the entryway. "Peyton. We have four kids. One more on the way." All too late he realized that they hadn't told anyone about the new baby; but Vegas didn't seem fazed by the comment.

"You two actually got married?" Vegas attempted not to look completely shocked. "Congratulations man."

"Thanks."

"Four kids," he said with a shake of his head. "They're beautiful. Any talent from their old man?"

"From us both," Lucas said with a nod. "We don't know which is going to win out. Basketball or art."

"What seems to be the problem? The call was regarding domestic ab—" Vegas stopped talking as they walked into the living room. He had suddenly realized that the call came in about domestic abuse. The voice was female, her husband answered the door. "Tell me Lucas isn't the problem," he said when he saw Peyton sitting in the living room.

"No!' She said quickly, banishing that thought. Then, she broke into laughter brought on by the stressful day. "Of course it's not Lucas. What's Vegas doing here?" Her second question was directed at her husband, who was still standing in the doorway.

"I was just relocated back home," he answered before Lucas could interrupt. "You said you wanted to report—" he was only halfway through his sentence when he realized that Jake was sitting on the other couch with a young boy. "Jake! You guys are still friends after all these years?"

"We try," Peyton said dryly. "He's married to Brooke. If you stick around long enough you'll see Nathan and Haley too. But can we get on with the matter at hand?"

"Of course." The spent half an hour listening to Peyton retell the story of her morning. After that, Vegas turned to Laura and asked her what had happened. She explained how her parents had been drinking and how she had forgotten to take the laundry out of the dryer. Tears were practically flooding the Scott living room when Laura finished her whispered explanation. Jake showed Vegas the medical file, handed him a copy, and told him that she was lucky to only have a few broken ribs and dark bruises.

"We have to call this into Child Protective Services," he said as soon as he had heard all of their stories. "Luckily, you never entered their home, correct? Peyton nodded. "Good, then I don't have to arrest you."

"Oh good," she responded dryly, earning a withering look from Lucas. She needed to stay calm for the sake of the two children in the room. Angering the authorities would do them no good, even if it did happen to be an old friend who used to practically worship Lucas and Nathan on the basketball court.

"But Laura can stay here until some other arrangement is made?" Lucas asked.

"That's not protocol. We're supposed to take her down to the station and call CPS. They'll pick her up down there and take her to a foster family."

"You can't make an exception?" Peyton asked in a gentle tone, mostly because she was holding a frightened little girl in her arms. During the conversation, the little girl had moved closer until she was practically sitting in Peyton's lap. She stroked Laura's hair gently as she waited for an answer.

"As a doctor, her doctor at this point, I don't think it'd be wise to move her. She's already been through enough," Jake said to Vegas, his professional tone turned on for full effect.

"Excuse me for a minute and I'll see what I can do," he said. Lucas showed him into the kitchen where he could make his phone calls and the rest of them waited in the living room.

"I don't feel so good," Laura whispered in Peyton's ear. Peyton took her hand and led her into the bathroom, where the little girl proceeded, due to an excess of nerves and the pain pills, to throw up the little amount of food she had eaten that day. Peyton sat behind her on the carpeted floor, holding back her long blond locks. "I'm sorry," she whispered as soon as she had finished.

"Don't worry about it," Peyton said without pause. She took a washcloth and ran it under cool water before handing it to Laura to wipe her face. "I can't believe how brave you are," Peyton said in a whisper. "It's okay to be a little afraid. Don't you apologize for it, okay?" Laura nodded. Jake stood in the hallway, listening for them and keeping an eye on Ryan. The little boy had been silent after sharing his tiny part of the story. After getting Laura cleaned up a bit, Peyton all but carried her back to the living room and sat down next to Lucas.

""I don't think you've been properly introduced. Lucas, this is Laura. Laura, this is Ryan's dad Lucas."

"Hi there," Lucas said kindly, not sure what else to say. It was a strange situation. Not one he resented, but one that confused and worried him.

"I'm sorry," Laura said, her eyes cast down immediately.

"You're gonna have to stop apologizing," Peyton said playfully. "We just don't do that around here. As long as you're honest, you have nothing to be sorry for. Okay?" Laura nodded. Lucas grimaced inwardly; Peyton was already attached. He knew his wife and he knew that she became hopelessly attached to kids. Why couldn't she be normal and fall in love with dogs or cats? No, not his wife. She fell hopelessly in love with most children in her path and had absolutely no desire for a dog. He wasn't worried about keeping Laura with them; he worried about what would happen when someone came to take her away.

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The title comes from "What if She's an Angel," a song by Tommy Shane Steiner. 


	28. Home is Where the Heart Is

Thanks for the reviews—I really do appreciate them. And I'm trying to keep up with the updates – hope you like the next chapter, let me know!

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Chapter 28 Home is Where the Heart Is

"The chief approved the idea," Vegas said as he walked back into the living room. "She can stay here at least until her parents are questioned."

"Thanks Vegas," Lucas said as he stood to shake his hand. "It was good to see you."

"You too, Luke. It's crazy, all you still together after all these years. Really crazy. I'll see myself out. You take care, little miss," he said with a smile at Laura.

"Thanks Vegas," Peyton called after him. "He hasn't changed much since high school," she observed as soon as he was gone from the room.

"I should get home. Brooke's probably going crazy with all those kids," Jake said as he stood up.

"Thanks Jake," Peyton said with a smile.

"Anytime," he returned. He leaned down, hugged Peyton and then Laura, and dropped a kiss on the top of Peyton's head. "I'm still paying you back for all that free babysitting in high school."

"Consider the balance even."

"Will do."

"I'll go with him and get the kids. And we'll pick something up from the café for dinner," Lucas offered.

"Sounds great." After they kissed goodbye and Lucas left the house, Peyton turned her attention back to the two children who had been through so much in one day. "What do you guys think about eating upstairs in the guest room?"

"Can we watch _Finding Nemo_? Laura's never seen it," Ryan suggested.

"Sure," Peyton agreed. "Let's get it set up." She helped Laura up the stairs and into the guest bedroom, where Ryan was already attempting to plug in the DVD player. Peyton showed her where the bathroom was and a few other important things before she went downstairs to wait for the arrival of the rest of the family.

Lucas brought sandwiches and soup for the whole family, two portions of which they fixed on antique dinner trays that had belonged to her great grandmother and carried up the stairs to Laura and Ryan. Laura was snuggled in between a huge pile of pillow against the headboard while Ryan sprawled across the foot of the bed. Both were intently watching the television when Peyton and Lucas walked in with their dinner.

"Hey guys."

"Grandma sent a surprise dessert," Lucas said in a secretive manner.

"She makes really good cheesecake," Ryan told Laura matter-of-factly.

"Enjoy," Peyton said with a smile. "We'll be back a little later."

"Eat up," Lucas chimed in.

"Do they usually let you eat in your room?" Laura asked after the two left.

"Never," Ryan said solemnly. "They're really big on family dinner stuff."

"They seem like a nice family."

"They're pretty cool," Ryan agreed. "My mom can be a little weird sometimes, but my dad says all girls are."

"He seems nice too."

"My dad? He is. He's one of the good ones, mom always says. Aunt Haley too. Maybe you can meet her. She's really nice. Not as much fun as mom, but she helps with homework. It's not hard when she explains it."

"You're lucky. You have a nice family."

"I'm sorry about your mom and dad. How come you never told anybody what they did?" Laura shrugged her shoulders and turned her full attention to picking at her food, signaling to Ryan that she no longer wanted to talk. Having genetically gained a lot of perception from his dad, Ryan took the hint and tried to get her interested in the movie again.

Later that night, after Peyton had Laura tucked into bed, Lucas knocked on his son's door. "Come in," Ryan mumbled. He was sitting in bed with a copy of _The BFG_ but it didn't look like he was getting very far with it. Lucas could also see a sketchbook poking out from under the covers, where it was probably shoved after Ryan heard someone at the door. The young boy was extremely private about his art, even more so than his mother had been before she had met Lucas.

"Hey," Lucas said as he walked in and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hey dad."

"I'm really proud of you, for what you did today."

"Skipping school?"

"Well, not that part. But you went with your instincts and you really helped someone. And that's something to be proud of." Ryan refused to look at his dad, but Lucas could tell his son was pleased with the compliment. He stood up and was about to leave the room again when Ryan's voice stopped him.

"Dad?"

"Yeah Ry?"

"Why do people do stuff like that?" Lucas took a deep breath and closed the door, looking away from his son as long as possible and hoping for an acceptable answer to surface. None did. Sitting back down on the soft blue comforter, hundreds of possible answers swam through Lucas's mind and he attempted in vain to sort them out. "It's okay, you don't have to answer—"

Ryan was smart enough and old enough to realize that this was not a subject the adults liked to discuss. Just like when Aunt Haley got mad at Uncle Nathan or when Aunt Brooke got silly at one of his parents parties. There were certain topics adults didn't like to discuss around kids, and what happened at Laura's house was apparently one of them.

"I wish I had an answer." It was the most honest statement Lucas could make at the moment and they always tried to be honest with their children. Hiding your feelings and lying simply complicated things and nothing needed to be complicated in a house with four kids. "I don't know how some people can hurt people they love. But unfortunately it happens. And they need to get help, because it's never alright to hurt someone else."

"Is Laura gonna be alone now?"

"No," Lucas answered honestly. "She's not ever going to be alone when she has good friends. And she has that in this family. We'll make sure she's alright." Ryan seemed satisfied with that answer; he knew that his parents wouldn't let anything happen to the little girl. He had always known that no matter what the circumstances, he could trust his parents.

Peyton thought she could possibly close her eyes and fall asleep in the hallway, but she forced herself to knock on Winifred's closed door. "Come in," the young girl called.

"Hey sweetie," Peyton said as she entered. Her oldest daughter was ready for bed, already slipped between the covers and reading a book. "Going to bed soon?"

"Ten o'clock," Winifred promised.

"How was school?"

"Really good. Mrs. Cramer let me play the review game in history, even though I missed, and our team won. Jason, this kid in my class, said that they won because of me. I knew every question. Dad was right about all the important stuff—"

"He usually is," Peyton answered with a smile.

"You're smart too, mom," Winifred said after she realized that she might be causing her mom to feel a bit left out.

"I have several of my own talents," Peyton agreed. "I'm sorry we didn't get to talk more after school."

"You had stuff going on. Is Ryan's friend going to be okay?"

"She'll be fine," Peyton answered gently.

"Is she staying here long?" Winifred asked carefully, not wanting to be rude but also clearly alarmed at the fate of her personal space. There wasn't a plethora of extra room in their home.

"Not too long. You don't have to worry."

"I'm not worried—"

"Sure you aren't," Peyton said with a knowing smile. "Don't worry. Your dad and I never had to share a room before we got married. We'd never subject you to the horror." She smiled and shook her head as her mind wandered to other happenings of the day. "How was everyone after school?"

"We were fine. Really, Aunt Brooke's not that bad."

"No, I never thought so," Peyton said with a chuckle. She had spent most of her own days with Brooke after school and part of her wished that her children were closer to Brooke. But somehow the perky brunette always seemed to send off signals that left kids weary of her. Gretchen was usually just plain terrified when she was left with Brooke.

"Dad does."

"Well, your Dad and Aunt Brooke and I have some history that makes the two of them not so happy with one another all the time."

"Dad called her a slut."

"Winifred!"

"I heard her say that to Uncle Jake one day—"

"Don't you repeat that," Peyton warned. She couldn't believe that such an old incident had found its way into her daughter's knowledge bank. "Your Dad didn't mean anything by it, it was a confusing time. And it was a really long time ago."

"I didn't think Dad would ever say that."

"No, it's not a nice thing. Let's just keep this between you and me, all right? And don't worry about Aunt Brooke. We love her. I think we'll keep her around for a while," Peyton said as she reached out to tickle Fred. The young girl squealed and attempted to fight back, but her mother was too quick. Soon, they were throwing the decorative pillows and stuffed animals at one another. They must have gotten pretty loud because when they looked up, they found Lucas, Ryan, and Gretchen standing in the doorway, staring at them.

"Sorry," Peyton said quickly, uselessly attempting to hide the pillow she was holding. Fred quickly scooted under her covers, attempting not to giggle.

"You could have some consideration for those of us who are trying to be adult-like," Lucas said in a serious voice. Peyton scoffed and stuck her tongue out at him before throwing the pillow, hitting him square in the face. That sent Gretchen into a fit of gleeful laughed, which only continued when Lucas picked her up and playfully threw her on the bed before reinstating the pillow fight. Ryan simply stood in the doorway, shaking his head at his strange family. The action eventually died down when Gretchen almost tumbled off the bed and Peyton resumed her watchful mother-mode.

"Okay, enough fun. It's time for bed. For everyone," she said with a weary look at Ryan.

"Hey, I would have been sleeping already if you guys hadn't been playing."

"Likely story," Peyton said sarcastically. "Good night, my love." She blew Ryan a kiss and then kissed Gretchen before handing her off to Lucas, who was trying to straighten his hair that had been ruffled in all the action.


	29. Love Leaves a Memory

I'm so sorry that the update took so long. I've been busy finishing up my undergrad degrees and trying to keep up with the rest of life. Graduation is in a few days and then I get to start Grad school two days later—I need a break! Luckily, I love writing these stories, so hopefully I'll have time to keep up with them. I hope you're enjoying reading them – I always love to know what you think! Thanks for being patient, happy reading!

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Chapter 29 Love Leaves a Memory

The social worker came to the Scott house a few days later to speak with Laura and then with Peyton and Lucas. They understood that it was unorthodox to keep her with them considering they weren't family and they were never registered as foster parents, but the social worker agreed that she seemed content and safe there. Laura would be allowed to stay with the Scott family until the court date, when it would be decided whether or not her parents would regain custody.

About a week after the little girl had come to stay with them, the family had an off day; the first one in quite some time. Most of it stemmed from the fact that Peyton wasn't feeling much like herself. When Lucas returned home from work, he took over and made dinner for the family and then made sure that the kids had done their homework and gotten ready for bed. By the time he was finished, he felt as though he had worked for days instead of a few short hours.

"Hey," Lucas said softly as he crept out onto the back porch. Peyton was curled up into a corner of the wooden swing, her chin resting on her knees as the swing rocked her gently in the light breeze. She looked up and smiled at Lucas, but he could see the exhaustion though her happy façade. Closing the door behind him, he stepped out onto the moonlighted deck and sat next to her on the creaking old swing. "I don't know how you do this everyday," he said with a shake of his head. "I don't know how people do it without having someone at home."

"I'm not the one who needs a pep-talk," Peyton said with a small smile.

"Everyone can do with one now and again."

"Well thank you," she said softly. He continued to stare at her, so she closed her eyes to avoid his prying blue orbs. "I'm just a little out of it. I'll be fine."

"Tomorrow's going to be hard," Lucas commented nonchalantly, making her head snap up in surprise. "You thought I forgot."

"No," she said slowly. "I know you wouldn't. But really, I need to just grow up and –"

"Don't," Lucas interrupted, unwinding her hands from her kneed and taking them between his own larger hands. "Don't ever blame yourself for mourning. It's not something you're supposed to get over in any set time. It's okay to remember and be sad."

"It's just so hard," she said with choked words. "To pretend I don't miss him. He's never going to see Fred in a cheerleading competition, or see Ashton's work in an art show, or watch Ryan play ball. It's not fair. I lost her and then he was all I had for so long. And then one day he was gone too. How do I forget that?"

"You don't," Lucas assured her in soft tones. "And you don't need to pretend. We all miss him. He was a far better father than mine ever dreamed of being."

"Would you still give up Dan to bring my mom back?"

"And Deb to bring your dad back," Lucas assured her. "Why, did you find some sort of pagan ritual?"

"No," Peyton said with a laugh as she swatted him. Her eyes misted over a bit as she thought back to their teenage years, when she was just beginning to trust Lucas. "That was when I really knew I could love you, when you said that about my mom. No one else had ever offered my something so—selfless."

"Dan isn't all that much to give up," Lucas scoffed.

"But the gesture was huge. And it made me realize what a great guy you were."

"And then it only took us four years to start dating again—"

"We never dated," Peyton argued. "We just got married."

"No," Lucas said with a chuckle and a shake of his head, "I guess we didn't date too much—"

"At all," Peyton corrected him. "We never went on a date."

"What about that homecoming game freshman year? You wore that blue number—hey, do you still have that?"

"I still have it," Peyton said in a disbelieving tone. "But if you think I fit into it after four kids, you're crazier than we thought—"

"You're as beautiful as the day I met you—"

"Well yeah," she agreed and the started to laugh when Lucas began to tickle her. "Lucas, stop! Okay, you're beautiful too. Well, handsome," she corrected when he frowned. "But I _am_ chubbier."

"You're not chubby," Lucas said with a groan. "You've had kids. You're not skin and bones. It happens. But you're certainly not chubby."

"Okay."

"You live to torture me." He sighed and leaned down to kiss her, only pulling away when he felt warm tears falling down her cheeks. "Whatever happened to you? You never used to cry."

"I don't know." Peyton was wiping away the tears, laughing as she tried to control the sobs. "I have no idea anymore."

"You're just tired."

"If you say so."

"I hope so." His wish was followed by a groan and a mock expression of annoyance. "Because I don't have time to deal with a crazy wife."

"Crazy artists bring in more money than sane ones."

"We can live without the money."

"Can I remind you of that the next time you do the checkbook?"

"What did you buy?"

"Nothing," Peyton said quickly, looking away in mock-guilt.

"Peyton—"

"Brooke and I –"

"That's never a good beginning to an explanation dealing with money."

"We went shopping for baby things for Haley."

"Haley has baby things from Jared," Lucas pointed out.

"But these things are all so cute. Besides, I just sold another painting to some big buyer in New York. You're gonna love the paycheck."

"I loved the painting."

"It's only good when it means something to someone. And it must have meant something if this guy was willing to shell out half a million."

"Peyton, that's great!"

"I was impressed," she agreed with a nod.

"You should be. We're going to dinner tomorrow night to celebrate. Actually, we're spending the whole day together."

"Luke, Fred has a doctor's appointment and I promised Ashton we'd go to the zoo after lunch. There's some animal he wants a picture of—"

"Nathan and Haley are already planning on taking the kids for the day. Brooke and Jenny are taking Fred to the doctor's appointment and then on some all-day spa and shopping extravaganza. And Hales can introduce Ashton to the wonderful world of No arguments. The kids are leaving in half an hour. Go say your goodbyes."

"They're sleeping over?"

"We have one full day of freedom, including wake up calls."

"What about Laura?"

"She loves Hales, they've already spent time together. She'll be fine."

"Luke, I won't be much fun—"

"You're never any fun," Lucas teased. "But I still love you. Now stop arguing and go help Fred pick out something to wear."

"Are you going to tell me where we're going tomorrow?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Nope."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?" She asked in a mock-seductive voice as she pretended to flirt with him.

"Sorry, I have a wife. Old married men can't be flirted with."

"If you're old, I can't be married to you. Because I'm not old," Peyton said sassily as she walked into the house, closing the door with a smart click. Lucas chuckled to himself and sat back on the swing, content to watch the night sky for a few more minutes.

* * *

I know this chapter was a bit sidetracked, but it was on my mind. The next chapter should delved back into the major storylines. The chapter title comes from this Irish saying: "_Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal._" 


	30. Whisper Words of wisdom

Chapter 30 Whisper Words of Wisdom

The next morning was chilly but bright, the perfect autumn Saturday. Lucas was awake at dawn but remained lying in bed, trying not to wake his fitfully sleeping wife. It was almost eight when Peyton opened her eyes; that was sleeping in according to her clock. If he hadn't known better, Lucas would have thought he'd woken up beside his wife's sixteen-year-old self. She avoided his whisperings of 'good morning,' ducked away from his kisses, and got out of bed without saying a word. Luckily Lucas had been prepared for such a reception; he knew that avoidance was her way of dealing with things she didn't particularly want to think or talk about. He started breakfast while she showered and they ate in silence, Lucas reading the newspaper while she sketched rapidly in one of her books. After the dishes were done, Lucas decided he was finished allowing Peyton to direct the day.

"Come on," he said simply as he reached for her hand. She looked up at him strangely, as though she were looking at someone she'd just met instead of at her husband of thirteen years.

"I want to stay here," she said sullenly, her eyes darting back to her drawing.

"There's plenty of time to sulk later. Come on, we're going out—"

"Lucas! I want to be alone."

"Should have thought of that before you started a family," he goaded her.

"Lucas, I'm serious."

"So am I. You're stuck with me. Now get your shoes." Ten minutes later, she was sitting in the passenger side of Lucas's SUV, her arms crossed in front of her like an angry teenager. Her mood wasn't at all lightened when they pulled up the drive of the Tree Hill Cemetery. Lucas cut the engine and stepped out of the car, making to her side in less than four strides and opening her door. Taking his hand, she stepped shakily from the vehicle and went with him to the back, from where he pulled gardening instruments and several flower arrangements. He carried the tools and she the flowers.

When they finished, Lawrence and Anna Sawyer had the most beautiful graves in the whole cemetery. They also stopped to place a few flowers on the coach's grave on their way out. Peyton was emotionally exhausted by the time she climbed back into the car, much too preoccupied with her thoughts to worry about what Lucas was doing. That was probably how he was able to drive all the way to the beach without her noticing.

Once there, Peyton's eyes welled up with tears as she realized where they were; it was the beach where they spent their first night after Winifred had been born. After returning from the hospital, Peyton had been showing early signs of post partum depression. Instead of panicking like most young fathers, Lucas had handled the situation expertly, leaving his daughter in the care of Karen and Larry while he personally tended to his overwhelmed wife. Not having much financial stability at the time, he had taken her to his father's beach house, which at the time was under the power of his brother Nathan. Now, thirteen years later, it once again stood ready to serve as a shelter through the storm of emotions and ransacked memories.

"Lucas, thank you," she whispered as he approached her.

"I haven't done anything yet," he said, smiling as he lifted her from the car began to carry her toward the beach house.

"You always know what I need," she said. Burying her face in his chest, she snuggled closer and enjoyed the short trip to the living room, where Lucas promptly set her down in front of the lit fireplace. Settling himself next to her, he pulled her into his lap and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

"I'm all yours tonight." Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and leaned over, reaching behind the sofa. "I have something for you."

"Lucas, you shouldn't have gotten me anything—" Her voice left as she lifted he lid of the box and revealed a photo album. The cover was a soft navy fabric, festooned with buttons in the shapes of fish, boats, and all things nautical. In the center, there was a window that revealed a picture of Larry Sawyer at his happiest, at the helm of a boat with his arm around his wife Anna, standing protectively behind their beautiful young daughter. Tears began to fall as she flipped it open and realized that it was a scrapbook honoring her father; the man as others had seen him. Each page or two was in a different, but always familiar, handwriting. It started with her grandparents, moved into Karen, Keith, each of her friends, and finally her children. It was a beautiful and artistic record of what Larry Sawyer had meant to each and every one of them.

"It's perfect."

"He's always with us, Peyt."

"Thank you, Luke." The evening ended soon after as Peyton and Lucas drifted off to sleep in one another's arms, lulled by the reassuring crackle of the fireplace and the repetitive crash of the waves upon the sand.

Lucas attempted to convince Peyton that she needed more time away from the chaos of their normal lives but she refused, waking up early the next morning and preparing to leave. She was dressed in a black pantsuit, her curly hair tamed into a neat silver barrette. Lucas knew they were headed for church without any verbal warning from his wife. Regretfully forgetting his plans for a nice leisurely breakfast and a few more hours alone with his wife, he dressed in a pair of dark slacks and a royal blue dress shirt.

"We'll just take them home from church," Peyton informed him as they walked out to his car. He nodded, happy at least that she seemed much more cheerful despite the emotional day she'd had. They arrived just as the bells were tolling and quickly made their way into the church, sneaking in as the procession was reaching the altar. They sat in the pew behind the other Scotts and the Jagielskis and knelt, each saying their own private prayers before standing to join in the gathering hymn.

Gretchen had seen them first and was trying to make her way out of her uncle Nathan's grasp so that she could go to her mother. Looking back and seeing his brother and sister-in-law, Nathan handed over the squirming child. As they listening to the priest begin the mass, Peyton watched out of the corner of her eye as Ashton edged his way out of the pew next to his aunt Haley and took a few steps back before unobtrusively moving his way into the pew next to his mother. Before the second reading, Fred and Ryan had found equally quiet and inconspicuous ways in which to sit with their parents.

"I missed you guys so much," Peyton said as she hugged Ryan and Ashton close. She was sitting in the pew, gathering her family around as the rest of the church made a mad exodus.

"Were you all good?"

"Wonderful," Haley answered before any of the kids could speak. "I thought you two would be gone a little longer."

"We had all the time we needed," Lucas answered.

"Then I hope you'll join us for brunch," Brooke said, all smiles. "Jake's taking us to a new restaurant across town."

"Sounds great," Peyton answered for them all, putting her arms around Fred and Ryan as Lucas swung Gretchen onto his hip and took Ashton's hand. It was a wonderful day for them all, spending time with the ones they loved and forgetting, momentarily, about the outside world.

Monday morning came sooner than any of them would have wanted but they all handled it fairly well, getting off to school and work with time to spare. Peyton and Gretchen were settling in for the day when the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" Peyton posed the question to her tiny daughter as she swept her back up and started walking toward the front door. Entering the front hall, she saw Haley letting herself in.

"Morning Hales," Peyton said, her voice misted over in suspicion. Haley never visited during the day. Granted, she normally was not home during the day, but it still made Peyton nervous.

"Hey girlies," she said, reaching over to tickle Gretchen. "Peyt, how are you?"

"Good. You? Where's Megan?"

"Aunt Haley baby," Gretchen said proudly, looking at her mother for confirmation.

"You've got it, babe," Peyton said with a smile.

"She's with Karen—" Haley started to speak but Gretchen interrupted, continuing her happy babble.

"Gram. Gram. Where Gram?"

"Right here, cutie," Karen said, popping her head in the door. "Peyton, Megs and I are taking a walk. I'd like to take Gretchen too."

"Walk. Mama, Walk with Gram. Walk with Gram. Walk with Aunt Haley baby. Walk mama." Gretchen was trying to catapult herself out of Peyton's arms and toward Karen.

"Alright, alright. You want to go with Grandma. You need your coat." She set the little girl down and, seconds later; Gretchen came running back with her coat. Peyton knelt to the ground and helped her pull on the sort pink coat and then turned her over to Karen, who readily placed Gretchen in the stroller in front of a slumbering Megan. They were down the walk before Peyton could say goodbye.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"I wanted to talk."

"Let's go sit." Peyton led Haley into her den and they sat together on the sofa. "What's up?"

"It's about Laura."

"Okay."

"I don't think you should take her."

"Haley, the system would crush her. She's so fragile. I can't imagine—"

"I want her…"

"What?"

"We want her," Haley corrected herself. "Nathan and I. We've talked about it a lot now. You have enough to worry about and we have more than enough room. And I think it would just make more sense." Haley finished her spiel and Peyton saw a look that surprised her; love. She had simply grown to love that little girl.

"I think," Peyton said slowly, "that might be a wonderful idea. She needs more attention than I can give—"

"I'm not questioning your ability—"

"I know you're not," Peyton interrupted, "but Laura is going to need more time than I can offer. And if you and Nathan think this is something you want to do, I think it's a wonderful idea. Of course we'll have to talk to Laura. And the lawyers—"

"Of course." The awkwardness of their conversation melted away and they spent the rest of the morning talking about their kids and their husbands. Karen returned and made lunch before they even realized she was there. Three generations of the family sat together, sharing a delicious meal and excellent company. When their children were finally tucked into bed that evening, Lucas knew he was in for a discussion. Peyton had seemed to want to speak with him all evening but they had been busy as usual chasing down clothing for the next day, helping with homework, and making sure baths were taken.

Walking into his bedroom, Lucas found Peyton already under the covers and working through something in her sketchbook. He prepared himself for bed, turned out the main light, and climbed in next to her. Leaning close, he saw that she was sketching their children. Not simply their children. Jenny was included, as well as Jared and Megan. And Laura.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Hales stopped by today."

"And?"

"She and Nathan want Laura."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I feel like I've taken on this responsibility and now I'm just giving it up."

"But?"

"But it might be the best thing for Laura," Peyton said softly, laying aside her work and turning to face her husband.

"I think you have your answer then. And Peyton, you're not giving up. You're finding the best home for this little girl. You've already done so much. If this is what you think will be best, I'm behind you."

"And if I think it's best she stays here?"

"I'll start calling contractors in the morning," he answered easily. "We'll need an addition."

"You're perfect, you know that?"

"I'm nothing without you, my love." He kissed her lips and then pulled away, noticing that she was still worried. "I know you Peyton, and you'll make the right decision. And if I know you as well as I think I do, you already have that decision."

* * *

The title comes from the Beatle's song "Let it Be." I'm so sorry for the time it took me to update. I have no excuse, but Grad school has kept me busy and I've gotten sidetracked with other writing. I hope someone out there is still reading this. If so, let me know what you think. Thank so much, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! 


	31. First Lady In My Life

Chapter 31 First Lady In My Life

* * *

The two brothers and their wives sat around Peyton's dining room table late that Saturday afternoon with the family lawyer and Laura's caseworker. Karen and Brook had taken the children, with the exception of Laura, out for the day. The young girl hadn't been feeling well and was currently sleeping in the guest room, having no idea of the meeting going on below. "Let me get this straight," the caseworker said slowly, "Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Scott are the ones who now want to take Laura." All four heads nodded. "I don't know about this. How is it going to make Laura feel?"

"She's been through a lot worse," Lucas said, "plus, we would make sure that Laura understood we want what's best for her. And in the end, it's her choice."

"I don't doubt Peyton or Lucas in their ability to take wonderful care of any child," Haley said in defense of her brother and sister, "but Laura needs individual attention. And she's more likely to get that in a house with fewer children."

"As much as I have grown to love Laura, I think that living with Haley and Nathan would be best," Peyton said softly, her eyes focused on the table. Lucas grasped her hand, squeezing it lightly to offer some kind of assurance and support.

"I don't think this will do anything to hurt your chances of being awarded custody," their lawyer said kindly. "It shows that you're all thinking about what is best for the child. Not many judges would fail to be impressed with that." That prospect helped them all breathe a bit easier but Peyton was still distressed, feeling as though she was somehow letting down the child. They all knew that there would be no trial, Laura's mother had cracked and admitted everything, including the involvement of her husband, who turned out not to be Laura's biological father. After the truth was out, the man barely attempted to make excuses. The only issue following their incarceration was the fate of their innocent daughter. An informal hearing would be held but if the caseworker would approve of the living arrangements, there would be no further question of Laura's placement.

"I'll have to do a field study of your home," the caseworker said, her eyes set on Haley.

"That will be fine," Haley answered comfortably.

"We need to talk to Laura," Lucas said. He stood, pulling Peyton with him. Haley and Nathan were close behind, holding hands as they mounted the stairs and followed the other two to the guestroom. Peyton moved aside, indicating that Haley should wake the sleeping child. The brunette crept quietly into the room; her soft blue eyes falling sympathetically to the tiny girl who was wide awake, curled in a corner of the bed with a book.

"Hey sweetie," Haley said, crawling onto the bed herself and sitting across from the child. "How are you? I heard you weren't feeling well."

"I'm okay," Laura said, her whisper as soft and quiet as a summer breeze.

"I'm glad to hear that." Before Haley could continue, Laura broached a new subject.

"Is Megan here?"

"She's with her grandma," Haley answered with a smile. "Do you like Megan?"

"She's cute."

"I like her too. We'll keep her," she joked lightly, causing Laura to smile. "I was wondering if you were up for a talk. Peyton and Lucas and Nathan are in the den and we wanted to talk to you about some things."

"Okay."

"Okay," Haley mirrored, offering her hand and then leading Laura to the den. Laura crawled up onto the sofa next to Peyton and then looked expectantly at Haley to fill the empty space on her other side. They were silent for a few minutes but eventually Peyton found the words to begin.

"Laura, you understand where your parents are, right?" The little girl nodded solemnly, her wide eyes fixed on Peyton. "They're going away for a long time. And you are going to forget about them," Peyton said firmly, her hands reaching out to take Laura's. "And you're going to have a good life from now on." She paused for a few moments, murmuring reassurances as the small girl began to shed tears. "Next week, a judge is going to decide where you're going to live."

"And we're hoping," Haley said softly, taking over from the now-sobbing Peyton, "that you'd come and live with us."

"We would be honored if you'd become part of the family," Nathan added sincerely, moving to sit on the arm of the sofa next to his wife. Laura's expression was almost blank as she nestled into Peyton's embrace. She turned and whispered to Peyton. After drying her eyes, she climbed out of Peyton's lap and crawled into Haley's.

"I'd like that," she whispered into the brunette's ear. They hugged and were soon joined by an almost-tearful Nathan. Lucas and Peyton quietly exited the room to tend to their own growing family.

Later that evening, Peyton was trying to enjoy the tranquility of her home but couldn't help but distress in the blaring silence. The quiet felt too much like an accusation, a punishment for not being able, ready; for not being enough. The thoughts stung her fragile conscience as she applied the subdued colors to the canvas before her. Maroon 5 blared from the speakers on her computer and blocked her from hearing the door open. She didn't realize there was an additional presence until the person spoke. It was Winifred, her damp curls and pajamas an easy indication that she was somewhere in the process of getting ready for bed.

"Mom—" Peyton jumped a bit before realizing that it was her eldest daughter. Reaching over to turn off the music, Peyton walked over to the waiting girl.

"Hey Fred." She quickly consulted her watch, "what are you still doing up?"

"I heard you down here."

"I'm sorry. I'll turn down the music. I'll come up and tuck you in—"

"Mom, You did the right thing."

"Thanks for saying that, sweetie. I know it's hard for you to understand—"

"I understand you think it's your fault you decided not to take Laura. I liked Laura, but we didn't need another person in the house."

"Fred—"

"You can't blame yourself for not being able to do everything."

"Thank you," Peyton answered quietly, suddenly appreciating the subtle sensibilities and sensitivities that were taking hold in her young daughter. She put her arms around Winifred and they hugged, the daughter offering support to the mother who had so often served as the rock, the foundation of her own personality. Peyton stepped out of the embrace but kept her arm around her daughter and led her out of the den and up the stairs to her bedroom.

"What are we reading?" Peyton flopped onto her daughter's bed and crawled under the covers, holding them back and waiting for her daughter to snuggle beside her. For the next hour, mother and daughter took turns reading from a battered copy of _Anne of Green Gables_. Once Winifred fell off to sleep, Peyton crept quietly from the room and looked in on the other three sleeping beauties before continuing to her own bedroom.

"I was wondering where you'd disappeared to," Lucas mentioned unobtrusively, not actually looking up from his book as she appeared in their bedroom.

"I was just getting a pep talk from our daughter."

"She's a good kid."

"I was thinking the same thing." They ended the conversation as Lucas continued to read and Peyton prepared herself for bed, changing clothing and setting out things for the next day. It wasn't until they were in bed with the lights turned out that she finally ventured into the territory of the day's happenings. "Did we do the right thing?"

"I think we did, Peyt," Lucas said gently, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "We have four great kids of our own and one on the way. They still need our attention."

"I know," she said softly, "but it still hurts."

"I'm so sorry," he whispered back, not knowing what to do or say to take that pain away. His arms snaked around her, holding her close to offer support and a shoulder to cry on. The household of Lucas and Peyton Scott remained unchanged and fairly uneventful for the following week while Haley and Nathan Scott ran through the gamut of lawyers, judges, caseworkers, and other professionals involved in the adoption of Laura.

Uninspired by her current work and nursing a bad case of cabin fever, Peyton was in the kitchen waiting for her sons when they got home from school on the last Thursday of the month. Winifred was already home, working on her homework, when Ryan walked through the kitchen door and dropped his book bag in the same place he normally deposited it.

"Hey mom."

"Hey Ry. How was school?"

"Okay."

"What did you do?"

"Mom, it was school," he said pointedly, reaching into the refrigerator for an apple.

"I'm sorry," Peyton said in mock defense, "Humor me. What did you learn today?"

"Dogs die," Ryan said bluntly, then continued when his mother looked upset with his answer. "We finished _Where the Red Fern Grows_. You asked."

"My mistake," she muttered as she watched her son prepare his afternoon snack. He was getting too old, she decided silently; she wasn't old enough to have a son who could prepare his own snack, was she? She noticed then that Ashton hadn't come through the door with his brother. "Where's Ashton?" Ryan shrugged,

"He was with me at the end of the street. He didn't go with Jared."

"Did he say anything to you?"

"No."

"Go check on Gretchen. She's taking a nap. Watch her until I get back." Peyton pulled on her light blue, wool coat and ran out into the chilled afternoon. She walked through the yard and looked through neighbor's fences, looking for her youngest son. There was a park at the top of Haley's street and Peyton could see that her son was occupying one of the little wooden forts that dotted the play area, each one connected to the next by shaky bridges, netted walkways, or some other child-friendly structure.

Walking through the fallen leaves, Peyton made plenty of noise as she approached the young boy. He saw her through the wooden slats and she could see from his tear-stained cheeks that he had been crying. She climbed the wooden ladder and sat next to her son, her legs dangling from the small platform.

"I was worried when you didn't come home."

"I'm sorry," the small boy offered with a poorly masked sob.

"What's wrong, kid-o? Why are you crying?"

"I hate school."

"That's a strong word."

"I can't want to go back, mom. Please don't make me go back." He broke down once more into tears, shaking his head as he begged to be allowed to never go back to school. Peyton pulled him into her arms and rubbed his back reassuringly, trying to offer whatever reassurances came to mind.

"Hey, don't cry. We'll work it out, okay? Let's get home, where at least it's warm. When your dad gets home, we'll all sit down and talk about school, okay? Ashton's tears continued but he took Peyton's offered hand and walked with her to their own home for a cup of cocoa and one of his grandma's famous cookies.

* * *

The title is from a song but I'm not sure of the artist. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, as always I'd loved to knowwhat you think! 


	32. Tore the Pages All Away

Chapter 32 Tore the Pages All Away

Lucas had called a pre-season practice that night, leaving his family to have dinner without him. The dinner table was quiet between Peyton, Winifred, Ryan, and Gretchen. Ashton had refused to come to the table, no matter what was offered or threatened.

"May I be excused?" Ryan was the first to gobble up his dinner and attempt to escape the stressful atmosphere. Peyton nodded, barely looking up from her own plate.

That evening she continued to slip into a funk so that when Lucas returned home that night, he was greeted with a scowl and a cold shoulder. She was sitting in the living room, working on a sketch and listening to Green Day. Not terribly appropriate to a family atmosphere, she usually kept that type of music for kid-free evenings. Apparently not that evening. He dropped a kiss on Peyton's head, ignoring her obvious bad mood, and continued through the house to check on his kids. Winifred was being incredibly helpful by putting Gretchen to bed.

"Thanks bug," Lucas said as he poked his head into the nursery.

"Hey dad."

"How was your day?"

"It was okay," Winifred said, shrugging her shoulders as she slipped a warm flannel nightgown over her sister's head. "Is mom all right?"

"She's just in a mood," Lucas said easily, "she'll be fine. Don't worry about it, I'll take care of her. Thank you for helping with Gretchen. I don't know what we'd do without you, Fred." He hugged his oldest daughter and then tickled the baby, warranting a giggle. "Good night, Gretch. Sweet dreams." Ducking out of the room, Lucas walked down the hall and peaked into the boy's room where he found Ryan playing a video game.

"Hey Ry, how's it going?"

"Have you seen mom?" The little boy's voice was sarcastic but Lucas knew it was hiding his worry.

"I'll worry about mom. She'll be fine. She's just not having a good day. What about you?"

"I'm good," the boy said resolutely, shrugging his shoulders.

"Any trouble at school?"

"Nope."

"How's Laura doing?"

"She likes Aunt Haley. And she likes helping with Megs."

"Have you seen your brother?"

"He's hiding in the attic," Ryan said nonchalantly, nodding to the trapdoor that lay on the other side of their doorway. Lucas grimaced and pulled the rope, standing back as the wooden ladder unfolded. The light was already on and as he started up the ladder rungs, he heard a small voice call out.

"I'm not up here."

"I know no one's up here," Lucas said loudly, playing along with the game, "I'm just looking for the big ornament box. I hope I don't find any people up here. Just looking for the ornaments," he spoke loudly and kept his eyes closed as he ascended into the attic. He could feel the cold air as he stepped in and hoped that Ashton hadn't been up there for long.

"Dad, go away," Ashton said meekly, his voice not as convinced as his words would indicate.

"Hey, I'm just looking for a box. What are you doing up here, buddy?"

"Thinking," the little boy said, his voice almost a pout. He didn't like being found.

"Can I help? Sometimes it goes faster when more than one person thinks."

"I don't know if that will work," Ashton said after seriously considering.

"Why don't you come downstairs? It's pretty cold up here," Lucas suggested, after shivering as a draft hit him. "Ashton, please. I need to go talk to your mom. And I can't leave you up here. What are you upset about?"

"I can't go back to school."

"Why not?"

"The other kids make fun of me."

"Buddy, we'll talk about this later. I promise. I need you to not worry about it for right now,okay?And trust me, we're not going to make you do anything you don't want to do, okay?" Ashton nodded his head and walked into his dad's arms, accepting the offered hug. He crept down the ladder, spotted by his father, and quietly slipped into his room. Lucas folded up the ladder and closed off the attic, leaving his sons to play together as he went back down to the main floor to deal with a moody Peyton. Unfortunately, she was already curled up in bed, head under the covers, when he found her. Her refusal to acknowledge him angered Lucas but he eventually settled down, deciding that she would be more willing to talk in the morning. He whispered his good night and pulled his arms around her, determined to be supportive despite her foul mood.

"It's not time," Peyton insisted almost hysterically as Lucas carried her to the car. It was dark outside; too late for stars and too early for the first rays of the sun. She had woken up ten minutes before with unbelievable cramps. Lucas awoke just before she let out an unrecognizable scream.

"It's going to be okay."

"This can't be happening again."

"Calm down. It's going to be okay." It was Lucas's only answer as he deposited her in the passenger seat of his car and ran around to let himself into the driver's side. He looked in the mirror as they pulled away and saw Brooke watching from the living room window. Peyton was fairly quiet during the ride but Lucas could see she was in pain; her face contorted every few minutes and she was gripping the door handle so tightly that he was sure she would break it. He pulled into the emergency parking lot and cut the engine, running around to pick up his wife once more. It wasn't until she was in his arms again; half conscious of what was going on, that he noticed she was bleeding. He ran straight into the emergency room and was surprised to find Jake standing near the entrance, waiting with Peyton's doctor. He knew Jake was on call at the hospital once every week, but he rarely worked in the emergency room.

"Brooke called," Jake explained quickly as he gently took Peyton from Lucas's arms and laid her on a waiting gurney. "Hey Peyt, can you hear me?" Jake had pulled a penlight out of his pocket and was shinning it into Peyton's eyes, which were now closed. She wasn't even slightly as coherent as she had been in the car. Peyton's doctor started giving orders to the nurses standing around them and they all began moving towards one of the exam rooms. Lucas followed but Jake quickly stopped him.

"You can't come Luke." Before he could argue, Jake shook his head. "I'll bring her back to you." Lucas watched in horror as they wheeled her away and out of his sight. He numbly found his way to the waiting room and sat motionlessly for a while, not able to process anything. It was almost two hours after they'd first arrived when Jake came back in and put his hand on Lucas's shoulder.

"She's gonna be okay."

"Thank God," Lucas said in a strained voice. He cleared his throat a few times, trying to fight the sobs that desperately wanted to break to the surface. "The baby?"

"I'm sorry man," he said quietly, mournfully. Lucas nodded, the tears finally coming. He stood up and walked away from Jake, looking up at the ceiling as he paced the otherwise empty room. Stopping by a window, he looking out into the breaking dawn and thought about how unfair a day this way; days weren't supposed to begin with such tragedies.

"Does she know?"

"She'll be sleeping for a while," Jake answered. "Dr. Moira wants to talk to you whenever you're up to it." Lucas nodded. There was so much to say but nothing really mattered at the moment. "You can see her. She won't be awake. But if you want to see her—" Lucas nodded and walked back over to his old friend, who was waiting patiently to lead him to his wife's room. She was sleeping, her hands folded neatly on top of the dark pink blanket that covered her. Lucas sat on the chair next to her bed and took her hand, gently playing with the rings on her left hand. He looked up and realized that her other jewelry had been somehow removed in all the commotion.

"Her necklace…"

"It's right here," Jake assured him from the doorway as he dug into his pocket and removed the heavy bangle bracelet, necklace, and earrings. Lucas took them and placed them on the nightstand; she would probably want them right back on when she awoke.

* * *

The title for this chapter comes from a beautiful and incredibly sad song currently sung by Kenny Chesney entitled "Who You'd Be Today." 


	33. Nature's Masterpiece

Chapter 33 Nature's Masterpiece

Brooke sat uneasily in Peyton's meticulously decorated living room, her stomach in knots over what she had seen. 'What if" scenarios were running through her head constantly, making her wonder if she could have done something to help. Her friend was constantly under stress but that was Peyton; it wouldn't be normal if she weren't worried about one thing or another. But Brooke couldn't help wondering how many times she might have been of help if she had stopped thinking constantly of herself. Her self-pitying thoughts were broken by the sound of footsteps on the hall stairs. She looked up to see Ashton standing on the bottom step with Gretchen next to him, peaking at Brooke from behind her brother.

"Where's mom?" Brooke thought seriously about lying, that would be the easiest thing to do. Something about their innocent, sleepy expressions made her stop.

"She and your dad went to the doctors," Brooke said as lightly as possible. There was no reason to scare them with the severity of the situation; she wasn't even sure Ashton was old enough to know where babies actually came from.

"Is she sick?"

"A little bit," Brooke answered with a nod. "But she'll be okay."

"How do you know?" It wasn't a defiant question; the little boy was truly wondering how she could know a thing like that. He was the son of two very realistic people and he knew that it wasn't always possible to know that things were going to work out for the best. His parents had always taught him that no one could control the way things happened, but you could make the best of what you had. He was pretty sure he didn't want to make the best of anything without his mom.

"I've known your mom for a long time. She'll be okay," Brooke repeated. The two children were still standing on the stairs, looking at her like she was a stranger in their house. Although she had spent a lot of time in their home, she hadn't since Ashton was a baby. She'd had a rough patch right before she and Jake were married that actually caused Lucas to ask her not to come to the house. Peyton was in tears at the time but never argued with his request. Brooke had problems she needed to deal with and until then; she wasn't to be trusted around the children. Brooke had said extremely awful and malicious things that night, to the point where she was still surprised any of them talked to her.

Most surprising was the fact that Jake took her home that night and tucked her into bed when no one would have blamed him for washing his hands of her. After thirty-one years of life, Brooke could definitely count that night as her absolute darkest. She'd spent the following month and a half in rehab and still saw a therapist once a week. Although she hadn't picked up a bottle of alcohol since that fateful night, she didn't blame any of the kids for distrusting her. It was rare that she trusted herself and it still surprised her when Haley dropped by for a chat or Peyton asked her to go shopping; she honestly felt she no longer deserved them.

"You guys want to watch a movie? I hear Aladdin just came out again. New music and everything. I'm sure your mom was appalled at the artist choice, but she never did like pop—" Brooke stopped when she realized she was rambling. "Do you want to watch the movie?"

"It's bed time."

"We can make an exception just this once." Eventually Ashton warmed up to the idea and took Gretchen's hand to lead her into the living room, where the two climbed up onto the loveseat. Brooke popped in the newest Disney DVD and sat back down in her chair. Soon, a sleepy Fred and Ryan joined them, the little boy stretching out on the floor and Fred curling up with her head in Brooke's lap. They were asleep before Genie even came out of his bottle but Brooke allowed the movie to play on; afraid to wake them by taking away the lively noise. She must have fallen asleep on the sofa because the next thing she knew, the phone was ringing. Her attempt to answer it before it woke the kids was too much to hope for; they were all wake and grumbling by the time she flipped her phone open.

"Hey Luke."

"Everything alright?"

"Peachy," Brooke said dryly. "What's going on there?"

"Peyton's going to be fine."

"Thank God," she whispered.

"For once, we agree."

"What about the baby—"

"They weren't able to do anything—"

"I'm so sorry," she whispered sympathetically.

"I can't really talk about it now," he said in a strained voice. "They're keeping Peyton for at least a few days. I won't be able to get home until at least after lunch—"

"Don't worry about it."

"Hales can probably take over—"

"Lucas. Don't worry about it. It's not like I can really screw anything up."

"I know you won't. I'm sorry, I'm just tired. I don't want Ashton going to school today. Come to think of it, it might be best to keep them all home—"

"Luke, it's Saturday. It's safe to say they're all staying home."

"I'm sorry Brooke, I just can't think straight—"

"Don't worry," she repeated again, "things on the home front are just fine. You take care of P. Sawyer-Scott. I need her."

"Me too," Lucas agreed, keeping silent for a moment before snapping back to reality, "Can I talk to Fred?"

"Sure." Brooke handed the telephone to Fred, who was still trying to negotiate her surroundings. "It's your dad."

"Hi Dad."

"Hey Bug. Your mom's gonna be okay."

"I knew she would be."

"You're a good kid," Lucas said proudly. "I need you to help your Aunt Brooke with the boys and Gretchen today. She's not used to so many kids."

"We'll be okay."

"I know you will be. I love you."

"Love you too. Want to talk to Ryan?"

"Yeah, I do." Lucas talked briefly to the other three and assured them that Peyton was fine. The subject of the baby would have to be discussed later, but he knew it was important to reassure them after the scene they had witnessed the night before. Aston and Gretchen had been in bed, but both Fred and Ryan were awakened by Peyton's screams and had been onlookers to her premature contractions and Lucas's scramble to take her to the hospital. The day was fairly uneventful and all of the Scott children watched more television in those few hours than they had in entire weeks with their parents. Peyton and Lucas tended to be the type of parents who kept their kids busy with books, music, and games, which left little time for mind-numbing cartoons or controversial sitcoms.

Brooke tried to pay attention to them, as she knew she should, but she couldn't help thinking about Peyton and everything that had happened. Should she have been more helpful, possibly offered to take the kids more often, give her best friend a break every once in a while? It led her to think a lot about problems in her own life and how she was probably never going to have her own kids. Granted, they still had time; but not that much. Besides, what would she do with a baby? She never really thought of them as people, more as little inconveniences. She was deep in thought over her feelings for children when the front door opened and Jake walked in, Jenny trailing behind.

"Hey," he said softly when he saw Brooke sitting in the living room.

"Hi," she returned with a smile.

"How's everyone doing?" He posed the question as he glanced around the living room, relived to be counting four familiar children.

"We're fine," Brooke assured him, "how's Peyton?"

"She's mostly sleeping," Jake answered softly. "Something I think we could all use. Luke's staying at the hospital and he asked us to stay here. It would be easier for the kids to stay in their own rooms."

"That's fine. I just need to run home and grab a few things—"

"Jen and I stopped and packed a bag for you. But if you need to get out for a little while—"

"No, I'm good," Brooke said uncomfortably.

Not long after a quick dinner of pizza and salad, Jake began attempting to put the Scott children to bed. He had a feeling it wasn't going to be easy; they had a routine that they trusted and he didn't even know where to begin. Brooke tried to help but when she attempted to put Gretchen into the bathtub, the little girl began to scream.

"She doesn't get in the bathtub without her duck," Fred said softly, watching over Brooke's shoulder. She handed the pink piece of plastic to her baby sister and, as if by magic, the little girl calmed down and sat happily in the water.

"Thanks Fred," Brooke said. "Can you help Ashton and Ryan get ready for bed? It would be a big help."

"Sure," the young girl said reluctantly, turning to walk down the hall and up the stairs to her brothers. She didn't actually need to do anything, considering that the two boys hadn't actually gotten dressed that day. They were still both wearing lounge pants and baggy t-shirts that they had worn to bed the night before. "Ash, Ry, Aunt Brooke said you need to get ready for bed. Go brush your teeth."

"Isn't dad coming home first?" Ryan wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of going to be without his parents at home.

"What about mama?" Ashton didn't truly understand the nature of his parents' absence.

"They're not coming home right now," Winifred said patiently. "Dad said they'll be home as soon as they can be."

"Fred, will you read with me?"

"Sure," she said sympathetically, realizing that her brother was trying to take his parents' absences like a "big boy." Still, there were some things that were terribly upsetting to a little boy. He couldn't remember the last time he had gone to bed without reading with his father. Ashton, Winifred, and even Ryan curled up on the sofa in the boy's room and took turns reading from _Hoot_. Winifred was getting into her own bed and hour later when she heard a soft knock at the door. Before she could answer, it creaked open and Ashton was standing there with Gretchen in hand.

"What's wrong?"

"Gretchen couldn't sleep," the young boy said in a matter-of-fact voice. "She wants to stay with you."

"Well, you could both stay," Winifred suggested nonchalantly, guessing that their younger sister had little to do with the late night visit.

"That would be okay, I guess." As they climbed into bed with her, Winifred noticed that her brother had brought his ratty old stuffed dog, a sure sign that he was at least a little sad. Before she could turn out the light, there was another soft knock. Ryan stood at the door, his expression strained as he tried to remain looking "cool" and calm.

"I was just making sure Ashton was okay."

"He's here," Winifred answered.

"Oh. Okay." Ryan turned slowly to go back to his own room, a bit of disappointment in his expression and stance.

"Ryan!" Ashton called him before he could leave, but it was Gretchen who kept him there,

"Ry," she said in her firm, baby voice, "Stay. Ry stay." That was that. All was settled for the night.

* * *

The title comes from the following quote: The family is one of nature's masterpieces. George Santayana 

Thanks so much for reading! A special thanks to those who have been faithful readers and reviewers since the beginning -- including lysser8312 and a.k.a.-ashley. I hope you're all enjoying and I truly apologize for the wait. I know I haven't been keeping up with my stories but for those of you still reading, thanks! And, as always, I look forward to hearing what you think about the story, so please review!


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